Beads And Rattles
by Aggie Escott
Summary: After the fire, Aaron and Spence buy a house. Fluffawhump! You know how it goes, don't really have to tell you! LOL! Please R&R my dear friends
1. Moving

Beads and Rattles

Chapter 1

Moving

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_**Emily Dickinson**__** wrote, '**__One need not be a chamber to be haunted; one need not be a house; the brain has corridors surpassing material place.__'_

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"It needs a lot of work," Aaron said doubtfully, "And it is rather expensive."

It was the fourth time they'd been back. Spencer was slowly talking him round.

He was jumping around like a kid.

"Yeah Babe, but just look at what we could do with it!" He pointed out of the window. "Just look at the terrace. We could fix it up! It's beautiful!"

Aaron could see that Spence's mind was made up He pulled a face.

"We can afford it. I won't be paying for the apartment, so we will have that, and I've saved loads." Spencer looked at the face Aaron was pulling.

"Oh, go on, Babe." Spence put his arms around Aaron's neck and kissed his nose. "Please, I love it!" He looked into the dark eyes. "Pretty please?"

Aaron detached Spencer's arms and held them by the wrists.

"You know I'd do anything for you, Spencey." He bent down to him and kissed his nose back. "Let's have a walk in what passes for a garden."

They walked hand in hand to the end of the garden and looked back at the house.

"It is rather lovely," Aaron admitted.

"It's a little castle!" Spencer said. "It's so English!"

"You really want it, don't you Spencey."  
Spencer nodded, a huge smile that melted Aaron's heart.

"Ok, let's confirm it with the agent."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aaron was staying at Spencer's apartment while the workmen got the house habitable. It was exciting, especially for Spencer. He had packed his books in boxes, and was looking forward to having his own library. Aaron had offered to buy him a new chair and desk, but Spencer wanted to keep his old ones. There was a little turret room right at the top, which Spencer had taken care of himself; Lovely oak shelving and original polished wood floor. The fireplace had been restored. He couldn't wait to get in.

Aaron was delighted with how it was all coming together. He would never have considered buying a place like this, but seeing it through Spencer's eyes, it was a new experience, and he liked it.

He knew that Spencer needed solitude sometimes, and the turret room was perfect.

The night before they moved in, neither of them slept. They spent the night on the sofa in what had become their normal places.

"What shall we do first Spencey, when we get in?"

Spencer furrowed his brow, pretending it was a difficult question. "Espresso machine first I think, then bed."

Aaron laughed and pulled Spencer down to him.

"Sounds like…" He kissed him. "…a plan!"

"Aaron, sweetheart…." Aaron pulled back and looked at him.

"Please would you read to me?"

"Go get a book then." Aaron sat back. "And a hair brush. I want to brush your hair while I read."

Spencer returned with the book that Morgan had brought him in hospital, The 10th Kingdom. "I have read it, but it's not the same. I don't get the feelings from it when I read."

Aaron took the book with interest. Spencer sat on the floor in front of Aaron, and Aaron started to brush his hair. The soft curls bounced back into his neck as he brushed.

He opened the book and read:

"'Virginia rested her elbows on the windowsill…….'"

Spencer closed his eyes in pleasure.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

The next day wasn't as frantic as they expected. While they had been at work, the removal men left Spencer's furniture in the main living area, and took the boxes of books up to the library.

Although Spence did have furniture, there wasn't much when they were moving from a little apartment to a castle.

"I think we might need some more stuff." laughed Aaron when they had unpacked that night. Spencer giggled. Their things did look a bit lost and lonely in the huge room.

They were standing in the kitchen drinking fresh espresso. The kitchen was huge too, although neither understood why. Aaron couldn't cook, (although to give him credit, he did try!) and Spencer would rather eat out.

But it was nice – all new, but in perfect keeping with the house. Spencer looked out of the window dreamily. Outside was the covered terrace and below that, the tangle of growth that Spencer loved.

"In the summer, we will get wildlife in our garden, Aaron." He turned away and smiled at him. "Raccoons and squirrels and foxes and badgers…."

"And bears and snakes…." continued Aaron with a grin.

Spencer laughed, then….

"Thank you so much, Love, for doing this for me." Spencer was now getting teary. Aaron crossed the room and put his arms around him.

"I love you Spencey. I am going to love living here with you." He kissed Spencer lovingly. Spencer held him tight.

This was a new beginning for both of them.

They had put the bed together in a lovely room, with a balcony onto the porch. They lay together in the crisp new white cotton sheets. Aaron had his arms around Spence, Spence holding Aaron's hands against his chest. Aaron was nuzzling Spencer's newly washed hair, breathing in the scent of shampoo and soap.

"Tomorrow," he said, "When you are ready, I'd like to help you put your books away."

"Hmmm….." Spencer was asleep.

Aaron closed his eyes, amazed at the contentment he felt.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was fun, putting the books away. Aaron couldn't really understand in the past why Spencer kept them all. After all, he could recollect every page in every book he had ever read. But when the shelves were full, and the desk and chair were in the window, Aaron understood.

The musty smell of the old books, and the feel of the wood, the soft faded covers of the old leather bound volumes, and the sound of the creaking floor boards. It was wonderful, like a trip into another world.

He was happy that Spencer had this, and was even happier that he was willing to share something so close to his heart.

It had been Spencer's Mum that introduced him to the joy of reading. He had only met her the once, when she came to the BAU to help on the Fisher King case. He decided that he would ask Spence if he could go and visit her with him.

"This is amazing, Spence. I just love this room!"

Aaron sat on the wide windowsill, allowing his senses to be filled with the sensations of the little library.

Spencer came and sat by him.

"It's your room too, Sweetheart. It won't ever be closed to you." He took Aaron's hand. "I want to share everything I have with you."

Aaron took Spencer's face in his hands. Gently he kissed his neck and Spencer turned his face and kissed him.

"Thank you, Spence, for everything." he closed his eyes and rested his head on Spencer's shoulder, breathing in the lovely scents of the room mixed with the perfect scent that only Spencer had.


	2. The Book

**A/N There is a link in my Bio which will take you to a picture of the house they have bought. I'd like to live there too! (Preferably while they're still living there!)**

Chapter 2

The Book 

Aaron had to be in work early the next day, but Spence didn't have to go in. Aaron brought him his morning coffee, and sat on the bed.

"So what are your plans for the day, Spencey?"

"I thought I'd sort out my books. They are all muddled up, and I need to arrange them in some kind of order." He sipped his thick sweet coffee. "It'll take most of the day, I think."

The whole of Spencer's life was a muddle. It amused Aaron that the library was so different. He brushed Spencer's hair from his face and said:

"I don't want to go into work. It's all paperwork. So boring!"

"It's a shame you couldn't bring it home. I could do some."

"There is something you could do for me today, Sweets."

"Yeah! What?"

"Would you hang my suits up." Aaron held his suit-of-the-day up so Spencer could see it.

Spencer frowned "Looks ok. What's wrong with it?"

"It's all creased!" Aaron pulled a face. "It looks like an old rag!"

It had been on the floor all night.

"You could always borrow some of my stuff." said Spencer. "They don't need ironing."

"Spence, you're impossible!" Aaron mussed Spencer's hair and took the suit into the bathroom with him, to hang it on the door. The steam would get rid of most of the creases he hoped.

He got in the shower, and started to sing. He jumped as he felt a hand on him.

"You trying to give me a heart attack?"

Spencer stepped in the shower, still in his PJ's.

"Let me wash your hair."

"Get out you idiot." yelled Aaron. "Everything takes twice as long with you here!"

Spencer splashed him playfully. Aaron picked him up round the waist and put him outside the door.

"I'm going to be late!" he laughed. "I was never late before, now I am almost every day!"

"I'll make toast then." said Spencer, grinning. "Can't have the boss being late."

He giggled and ran happily down the stairs. Spencer found it very difficult to be serious when he was so happy. The two of them were so opposite. Spencer made a mental note to try and calm down a bit. He suddenly thought how empty his life would be if Aaron couldn't cope with him, and they split up.

Yes, he would definitely have to try harder.

Aaron came down ten minutes later, all neat and groomed. Spencer desperately wanted to ruffle his hair and hug him, but as he was still wearing wet PJ's he thought maybe not. Aaron sat down in the vast kitchen, and ate toast and drank coffee. He checked the time.

"Got to go, Sweets. I'll call."

Aaron bent forward and gave Spence a little kiss. Spence held onto him and gave him a kiss back.

"Take care, Love."

"You too, Spencey. Enjoy your day in the library!"

Aaron picked up his keys and case, and hurried out.

_Spencer's right_ he thought._ I shouldn't make a habit of being late._

He needed to keep the team disciplined, and the only way to do that was by leading from the front. He brushed down his suit, hoping no one else would notice how scruffy it was and he drove away from the house

He hated paperwork days, but then, if that meant there weren't any bad cases they were needed on, he should be grateful.

He switched on the radio for the morning news.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Spencer looked at the plates on the table. Should he tidy up, or go to the library?

No contest.

He quickly changed into sweat pants and ran upstairs.

He spent a happy morning sorting books and just enjoying the solitude.

It wasn't until came back up after going down to get coffee later in the morning, that he noticed it.

It was on the shelf that he had already sorted, and he couldn't remember seeing it before.

Odd

He took the book from the shelf.

'Monique'

Spencer thought hard. He had never seen this book before, certainly never read it.

He opened the book. The paged were thick and rough, the edges of the pages yellow and fragile.

Published in eighteen fifty five.

He took it to his desk and switched on the light.

The inside cover had been inscribed.

'_To my Darling. May this book bring you pleasure. Your loving husband'_

Spencer was hooked. This was real history. He couldn't understand why he hadn't noticed it before.

He heard the phone ringing downstairs. Aaron said he would call. Spencer didn't move.

He devoured the book. And then he did again. He studied the illustrations. They were wonderful, old, drawn by hand.

Spencer lost count of the number of times he read and re-read the book. He lost all track of time.

He heard the phone ring several more times, but the book mesmerized him. He ignored the phone.

Suddenly, the door opened and Aaron ran into the room.

"Where the hell have you been?" Aaron shouted. "I have been calling you. Didn't you hear? Why didn't you answer?"

Spencer looked up irritably from the book.

"I'm reading. Do you mind?"

Aaron stared at him as if he had smacked his face. He crossed the room to him, and put his hand on the book.

"Spence. I was worried about you."

Spencer pulled the book from under Aaron's hand.

"For heaven's sake, Aaron." Spencer answered angrily. "If I wanted a mother I would have moved back to Nevada!"

Aaron stepped back in shock.

"Spence. What's happened?"

Spencer looked at the book in his hand. Then he looked at Aaron.

"Can I see?"

"Don't you touch it. Don't ever touch it!" Spencer moved the book out of his reach.

Aaron stood, confused and upset.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you, Spence." His voice shaking. "I was worried when you didn't answer the phone."

Spence looked into Aaron's frightened eyes, and he started to cry.

"Uuuh…..Aaron. I'm sorry." He threw the book on the desk as if it had burnt him. "I don't feel too good, Aaron."

Aaron went to pick up the book and decided not to. He would look later.

Spencer stood up and stepped away from the desk, where the book beckoned to him.

"Aaron. I think I'm……" Spencer took a step towards him, and held out his hand. Aaron pulled him towards him and embraced him.

As he lay against Aaron in his arms, he felt tears rolling down his cheeks. He looked up into Aaron's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Aaron. Please help me. I don't feel well."

Spencer's eyes glazed over and he went limp in Aaron's arms.


	3. Confusion

Chapter 3

Confusion 

Aaron looked down at Spencer, limp in his arms.

What on earth had just happened?

Aaron shook his head, bewildered.

He picked up Spencer's body, and carried him downstairs.

He was again shocked at how light he was. Aaron could feel his hip bones through his clothes. His skin looked white and paper thin as if it would tear

He laid him down on the bed, and pushed his hair back. He was hot, and Aaron could see his heart beating behind his ribs.

"Spencey, Sweets, wake up." Aaron gently stroked his face. Spencer's eyes slowly flickered open.

"Uuuh….Aaron?"

"I'm here, Spence. How are you feeling?"

"Feel dizzy…head hurts."

"I'll get you a drink, and I don't suppose you've eaten today, have you?"

Spencer shook his head. "Not eaten, no."

"I'll get you something to eat, and some water." Aaron leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. He felt the heat from Spencer's body through his lips. "I won't be a minute."

Aaron left the bedroom, glancing back at Spencer, small and fragile lying on the white quilt. He turned and quickly ran down to the kitchen.

Glass of water, and bowl of cereal. Aaron put sugar on the cereal; it was likely that Spence had a low sugar, that was probably why he was feeling so bad. He took it up to Spence.

Aaron put the tray on the table, and helped Spencer to sit up on the bed. He passed him the water, and watched as Spence sipped it.

"Drink it all, Spence. You are dehydrated and hypoglycemic. If you've not eaten all day or drunk anything, it's not surprising you feel ill." Aaron sat on the bed, holding the bowl.

"So what happened, Spence?"

Spencer looked confused. "I don't really know. I just remember finding the book and reading it." He pressed his lips together. "I didn't know the day had gone!"

Aaron took the glass off him and gave him the cereal. Spencer started to eat.

"Are you going to be all right for work tomorrow?" asked Aaron. "You don't have to go in, you know."

"I'll be fine." Spencer smiled, finishing off the food. "I think I need to sleep now."

Aaron leaned down and kissed him. "You sleep then, Babe. I'll come up later."

He stood at the door and watched until Spencer had gone to sleep. He was still upset at some of the things Spencer had said to him, although he realised he was being over sensitive. Spence didn't seem to be very well.

But maybe Spence was right, and he was acting like a mother and not a lover. He couldn't help it, after everything they had been through. He couldn't help being protective.

He watched him sleep, his chest rising and falling, then he turned and went up the stairs to the library.

The book was where Spencer had left it, on the desk. Aaron picked it up and flicked through it.

It was very old, pages brittle and yellow. The inscription inside the front was interesting, and the illustrations were amazing. He went down to the living room, taking the book with him. If it interested Spencer that much, he really ought to take a look.

Aaron sat on the sofa. He sat in Spencer's place. It seemed strange to be sitting there alone.

He opened the book and began to read.

He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing Aaron knew, Spencer was shouting at him.

"How dare you check up on me." Aaron blinked in surprise. "You sneaking around after you thought I was asleep, going into my library and stealing my book!"

"Spence, calm down, Sweet! I only wanted to….."

Aaron was shocked into silence as Spencer slapped his face. Dumbfounded, Aaron held the book out. Spencer snatched it off him and stormed out of the room. Aaron heard him go upstairs and slam the bedroom door.

Aaron's trembling hand went up to his face, the imprint of Spencer's hand now showing red. He shakily put his head in his hands.

"Spence, what's got into you?"

He went to the cupboard and poured a drink. He knocked it back and poured another, and went and sat down again.

He decided to leave it for a while, and then go up to bed. He was almost afraid to go up. Spencer had never spoken to him like that before, and it had scared him.

There was definitely something wrong.

He slowly finished his drink, then went up stairs.

He took a slow calming shower, and went into the bedroom. Spencer was asleep on his side, clutching the book to his chest. Aaron slipped in beside him, and tentatively put an arm around him.

Spencer really was asleep this time. He was having a nightmare, groaning and twitching. Aaron pulled him closer, telling him everything was going to be ok.

Aaron could see that Spencer was crying in his sleep. He could feel his heart beat, as he thrashed about on the bed.

"Spencey, Babe. Wake up," Aaron gently shook him but he couldn't wake him. Whatever the dream was, it wasn't letting go. Aaron held him close, and waited.

Spencer at last woke with a scream, throwing his arms out. Aaron hugged him.

"It's ok, Spence. It was a dream. It's over now. You're safe."

Spencer turned over towards Aaron and flung his arms around him. He didn't say a word, just cried and sobbed onto Aaron's shoulder. Aaron rocked him, and twisted his hand in Spencer's hair, holding him close, breathing in his scent.

"It'll be all right, Sweets. I'll always be here."

At least, he hoped it would be all right.

Aaron lay still next to him trying to make sense of what had happened.

Was what he had done been prying?

He had only wanted to see the book that obviously meant a lot to Spencer.

He hadn't meant to pry.

Maybe things would be clearer in the morning.

It was a long time before Aaron fell asleep.

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The next morning, Aaron was up first. It was early, so he showered before he made the coffee. He was still upset over the day before, but he tried to put it out of his mind.

He took the coffee up to the bedroom. Spence was just waking up. The book, Aaron noticed, was on the bed beside him.

"Morning, Spencey. How you feeling today?"

"Uuuh…" Spencer rubbed his face. "A bit headachy and tired." He smiled. "I'll be fine for work though."

Aaron passed him the coffee, and smiled back. This looked like the old Spence. Maybe it was just his imagination. A fear of losing him.

_Maybe I need to back off._

_Maybe Spence was feeling trapped, now he no longer had the apartment._

_Maybe the thinks he's made am mistake_

_Maybe….maybe….maybe…._

"I love you, Spencey." Aaron leaned down and kissed him, taking his sweet face in his hands. "I always will. You know that, don't you?"

Spencer held the back of Aaron's head, pulling him closer, his skinny fingers pushed through Aaron's thick dark hair.

"I love you, too, Aaron."

Spencer leaned back on the pillows and sipped the sweet liquid. "Perfect, Love. Thank you."


	4. Work Day

Chapter 4

Work day

The journey to work was horrible; Spencer sniping at everything Aaron did or said. At first Aaron tried different subjects, but whatever he said, Spencer had a nasty comment for. Aaron was trying to keep his cool, but in the end he couldn't take it any more. He stopped the car and turned to face Spencer.

"I don't know what the hell is the matter with you, Spencer," he yelled. "And I am at a loss as to why you are being so damned nasty. But you'd better just stop, because I've had enough. If you want to walk to work, that's fine by me!"

Spencer glared at him, and undid his belt. Getting out of the car, he turned to Aaron and said:

"It's no wonder Haley left you!" and flounced away up the street.

Aaron sat for a minute with his head in his hands. When he looked up, Spencer had gone. He sighed, and continued a miserable drive to work.

He was at a total loss. He didn't want to end the relationship, but it felt to him that that was what Spencer wanted.

So why wouldn't he talk.

And the Haley comment, well, that was below the belt.

Aaron tears were misting his vision as he drove into the FBI car park. He wiped them away angrily.

His first stop before going to the office was the men's toilets. He looked at himself in the mirror. Dark bags under his red rimmed eyes. He looked terrible, lack of sleep and worry.

He wished he hadn't blown up at Spencer in the car. It hadn't helped either of them. Aaron now just felt wretched.

He splashed water on his face and combed his hair. He looked down with shame at his suit. It had spent the night on the floor again.

The way things were going, he was likely to be joining it.

Feeling a bit more presentable, he left the toilets and made for the office.

He met Morgan coming the other way.

"Hey, Hotch, You ok?"

Aaron nodded. "Yeah. Ok."

"I thought Reid traveled in with you. He's been here ages."

"He…erm…he wanted to walk this morning." Aaron attempted to smile but it was so slight that Morgan didn't notice it.

"Are you ok, Hotch?" He frowned at his boss. "You don't look well."

Aaron sighed. He should've guessed this would happen. The questions, gossiping, worried glances.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." And he walked on before Morgan had a chance to say any more.

Morgan watched Aaron walk down the corridor. He looked slumped and round shouldered. So unlike him. Morgan continued to where he was going, now with new thoughts on his mind.

At last Aaron made it to his office. He closed the door and leaned on it with relief. He had reached the safety of solitude. He sighed and went to his desk. Through the window, he could see the team at work. He watched Spencer.

JJ came down from her office and approached him. She sat on his desk and turned to face him. Aaron couldn't hear what was said but suddenly, Spencer stood up and was shouting at her. Now he could hear. over here, flicking your hair at me. I am not interested, not now and not ever. So go away, and leave me alone!"

Aaron picked up his phone as he watched JJ run back to her office.

"Reid. In my office. Now!"

He watched Spencer slam down his phone and stalk towards the steps. The rest of the team watched open mouthed.

Spencer entered the office without knocking and sat down without being asked to. His eyes were scowling in fury.

"Reid, what happens between us in our own home is one thing." Aaron spoke calmly. "But I will not have you upsetting the team. If you behave like this at work, you will be removed from the team as a liability." Spencer was looking around the room. Anywhere but at Aaron.

"Spencer! Do you understand?"

"Yes! Boss!"

Aaron softened. "Look, Spence. I don't know what the problem is between us. Unless you tell me, I can't put it right. You need to tell me." Aaron came round the desk and held Spencer by the arms. "What's wrong?"

Spencer looked up at Aaron. It looked to Aaron that Spencer didn't really know himself. For a moment, it looked as if Aaron might have got through to him. But the look vanished, and Spencer shook Aaron's hands off him.

"Do I have permission to go back to work now? Boss?"

"Yes, Spence. Go."

Spencer stalked back out of the office and returned to his desk. Aaron noticed how everyone gave him a wide berth after that, sending e-mails rather than speak to him. Aaron was unable to think of a way to make this right. He sat staring at the papers on his desk without looking at them.

His phone rang, he picked it up absently.

"Hotch, get down here. Something's happening with Reid!"

Aaron was out of the office and down the stairs. The team was standing around looking at Spencer.

Spencer was sitting with his head on the desk, moaning and whimpering. There was a wet patch on the desk where he was crying.

Aaron lifted Spencer's head. His eyes were glazed over, his eyelids twitching. Aaron shook him. "Spencer, look at me!"

The crying continued. There was no recognition.

"Spencer!"

Aaron turned Spencer's chair round so that he was facing him. He pulled Spencer so that he was leaning on him. He didn't seem to know who or where he was.

"I'm taking him home." said Aaron. "He's not well."

Aaron stood up, and lifted Spencer up. His eyes for a moment seemed to focus.

"Aaron….I….."

Spencer fainted into Aaron's arms.

"I'm taking him home." Aaron said again. He picked Spencer up and walked out of the bullpen, feeling the eyes of everyone burning into his back.

He sat Spence in the car and strapped him in. His head flopped forwards. Aaron held his face in his hands.

"Spencey, Lover. Wake up now. Please."

Spencer's eyes opened slightly.

"Aaron? Aaron is that you? Aaron?" Spencer's voice was panicky. Aaron knelt beside the car and embraced him.

"It's ok, Spence. I'm taking you home."

They stayed still in each other's arms for some time.

Aaron pulled away.

"I'll take us home now, Sweets." He kissed Spencer gently, lovingly. "Won't be long."

Aaron crossed to the other side of the car, and got in. He looked over at Spencer. He was sitting up, tears falling, crying quietly.

"I'm so sorry, Aaron. I love you. I love you, Aaron."

Spencer put his arm across and held Aaron's hand. "You do know that, don't you?"

Aaron felt a flood of relief. As long as he knew that Spencer still loved him!

In that simple moment of joy, Aaron forgot the heartache of the last few days. Maybe Spence would be ok now. He glanced across at him. He wasn't crying now, but his eyes were red, and his face tear stained.

"I know you do, Babe, and I love you."

Aaron pulled up outside the house. Spencer started to get out.

"Hold on, Spence. I'll help you." Aaron opened Spencer's door and helped him out of the car. Arm in arm they walked to the door. Aaron unlocked it.

"What do you want to do, Spence?"

"Shower and bed." he smiled, "And a cold drink."

"Ok, you go up. I'll be up in a minute with the drinks. Cold and sweet?"

Spencer nodded. Aaron went to the drinks cupboard. Spencer went slowly upstairs to the bathroom. Aaron mixed two large rum and blacks, and followed him up.

Spencer was in the shower already, still with his boxers on. Aaron smiled. It was so sweet. He did the same and stood behind him.

"Can I wash your hair, Spence?"

Spencer handed him the shampoo and Aaron poured a little into his hand.

Spencer leaned back with his eyes closed, Aaron washed his hair. Then, with soap bubbles washing down his face and body, Aaron turned him round to face him.

"I really love you Spence." Aaron kissed him, and Spencer returned the kiss.

Aaron picked him up and carried him to the bedroom.

They sat on the bed sipping their drinks

"Wow! Aaron! This is strong!" Spencer giggled.

Aaron laughed. Not for any other reason, than he was happy.

Later, they curled up together under the quilt. Aaron holding Spence tight against him, breathing in the heady scent of apples and Spence


	5. Night

Chapter 5

Night

It was still dark when Aaron woke up in the night. The light was still on in the hall, but it was still black outside.

Aaron sighed happily and reached out for Spence.

The other side of the bed was empty.

"Spence?" Aaron turned over and switched the light on. Spencer wasn't in the room.

Aaron pushed back the covers and got out of bed.

He didn't know whether to go and find him or not. The last evening, everything seemed to be back to normal, now he was treading on egg shells again.

Instinct told him to look. He just needed to make sure Spence was ok, then he'd leave him and come back to bed.

Surely Spence couldn't object to that?

He went out of the bedroom door and along the corridor to the bathroom. The door was open, no Spencer.

He went downstairs to the kitchen. The coffee was out, and the espresso machine was hot.

So Spence had got up to make coffee. Aaron smiled to himself.

_Why do you have to get so uptight, Aaron?_

He was likely in the library. Aaron poured some coffee, and went upstairs.

He stood outside the door for a minute, listening. He could hear Spencer inside. It sounded as if he was crying, or in pain. Aaron tried to open the door, but it was locked. He knocked.

"Spence, are you all right?" There was no answer, so he knocked again.

"Spence! Open the door. Please Love!"

The strange whimpering sound went on.

"Spence, if you don't open the door, I will have to break it down." Aaron looked at the door. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. It was a pretty solid looking door.

Spencer still didn't answer though.

Aaron went back downstairs to get his gun. He checked it was loaded and took it back up to the library.

"I am going to shoot the lock, Spence, so clear away from the door!"

Aaron pointed the gun down through the lock so that the bullet wouldn't go into the room, then he put the gun in his pocket and kicked open the door.

Spencer was sitting at his desk, with the book in his hand. He was muttering to himself in some strange tongue.

He didn't look up as Aaron burst into the room. Aaron went over to him and took his wrists in his hands.

"Spencey, what are you doing?"

Spencer looked at Aaron with such hate, that Aaron dropped his hands and stepped back.

"Spence! It's me, Aaron!"

Spencer put the book on the desk and stood up.

"Get out!" His voice was deep and brittle.

"Spence, please, I want you to come down stairs to bed. You will make yourself ill doing this."

Aaron reached for the book and took it off the desk. "Let's go down and read it together."

"Give me the book, damn you!" Spencer grabbed at the book, and pulled.

The book tore along the spine, and the yellow pages fell out onto the floor.

Aaron bent to pick them up.

"It's ok, Spence. I'll sort it out. Don't worry."

Spencer started to scream.

"Look what you have done you interfering bastard! You've destroyed it!"

Aaron stood up, pages of the book in each hand.

"Spence? What did……"

Spencer picked up a paperweight off the desk and threw it.

It hit Aaron above his left eye, and sent him staggering backwards towards the door dropping the pages onto the floor. He fell onto his back, and held his hands up to protect himself as Spencer advanced on him.

He crawled backwards out of the door into the hall.

"Spencer! Please. Come downstairs!"

Spencer had a letter opener in his hand.

With a horrible scream, Spencer raised the letter opener and brought it down onto Aaron. He twisted aside, but it caught his arm.

Spencer pushed it with such force, it pinned Aaron's arm to the floorboards.

Aaron cried out in shock and pain. He felt the blood starting to flow across the floorboards.

Spencer stepped up to him. Aaron remembered the gun in his pocket.

_How could I even think such a thing? This is Spencer. Something has happened to him! I can't hurt him!_

Spencer started to kick Aaron. "I've wanted to do this for a long time, Hotchner." He kicked him in the stomach and groin. Aaron curled away from him, the pains shooting through his body, He tried to cry out to Spence, beg him to stop, but still the kicks rained down.

"Please, Spence, stop!" he choked as he was caught in the neck and face. The last one he remembered was to the back of his head.

Later Aaron slowly woke up. He was still lying in a pool of blood in the hall outside the library. He noticed that his blood had run between the floor boards. His arm was still pinned to the floor. One of his eyes was closed, and he was bruised and hurt from the kicking that Spencer had given him.

_Spencer! Why?_

He looked around for him. The library door was closed. Aaron thought that that was likely where he was. Aaron cried in agony as he pulled the letter opener out of the floorboard. He turned on to his front, and was immediately sick, probably from head trauma and the kicks to the groin. He felt the back of his head, and there was blood in his hair. Tears were flowing down his bloody cheeks as he painfully crawled away towards the little guest bathroom. Every inch was agony, he left smears of blood on the floor as he painfully dragged himself along. He thought it likely that he had some broken bones.

The most important thing now, though, was to get away from Spencer.

He was afraid of Spence! How did this happen? How did he let Spence beat him up like this?

He just couldn't hit back. It was Spencer. He could never hurt him.

He couldn't move his legs and he was afraid of what damage had been done. He threw up again, as the pain shot through him.

He had made it half way, he collapsed on the floor, crying.

"Oh god, Spence. Why?"

He heard the library door open, and he curled up to protect himself, and braced for another onslaught. The door closed again, and he felt the vibrations of Spencer's foot falls coming along the hall.

"Where are you going? I'm not done!"

This time the kicking was to his back, the only part of his body that was exposed. But it didn't last long, and Spencer was down the stairs.

Aaron continued to the bathroom, where he could lock the door and be safe.

As he crossed into the bathroom, he heard the kitchen door bang.

He pushed the door shut and reached up and bolted the door.

He leaned against the door and cried, partly with pain, partly with shock, but mostly confusion.

Last night, Spence had told him that he loved him.

He had to get help. He couldn't do this on his own any more.

With shaking hands, he got out hid mobile, and fast dialed Morgan.


	6. Safety?

Chapter 6

Safety?

He squinted at the phone. Who was calling at this time of the morning?

Caller ID said, 'Hotchner'. Maybe a case.

"Uuuh…Morgan."

"I need your help, Derek. Urgent. Help."

"Hotch? Is that you?"

"Derek, Spence's lost it. I need you to come and get me." Aaron broke into coughing. Morgan could hear Aaron was throwing up. "Please….." Morgan heard a banging sound, and the connection broke.

For the tiniest moment, Morgan frowned at the phone, then he was up and pulling on his jeans and sweat shirt.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aaron was still leaning against the bathroom door.

"Who are you phoning?" Spencer shouted from the hall. He kicked the door, Aaron felt it move against his back. He leaned harder. He only had to wait until Morgan arrived, but he could feel that the door wasn't going to last long.

"Open up, Hotchner." Kick! Kick!

Aaron took the gun from his pocket with trembling hands, and looked at it.

Could he use it on Spence, to save his own life?

Because that is what it had come down to.

He heard the sound of splintering wood. He looked at the gun again, and threw it across the room.

No, he couldn't shoot Spencer to save himself.

The panel above his head broke through. Aaron tried to crawl away from the door. Spencer's hand reached through the hole and grabbed Aaron's hair, yanking his head back.

Aaron cried out as his head jerked back. He reached up with his hand to pry the fingers out of his hair, but Spencer wouldn't let go. He looked round for a weapon. There was nothing within reach.

Pulling back the splintered wood, Spencer reached in and unlocked the door.

Aaron was too weak to stop him; Spencer pushed the door open and come into the room. Aaron was half lying, half sitting behind the door. He looked up at Spencer, his eyes half closed, resigned to take whatever was coming.

Spencer leaned down wordlessly and pulled the letter opener out of Aaron's arm. Aaron groaned in pain and his hand went to the wound in an attempt to stop the new bleeding.

"Who were you on the phone to?"

"I w-wasn't…."

Spencer bent down and went to take the phone out of Aaron's pocket.

"No, Spencer. Stop now!" Aaron pushed him away. Spencer sat down in the mess of blood on the floor. But he was up in a flash. He landed a punch on Aaron's face, and snatched the phone from him. He checked the latest calls.

"Derek Morgan. So you've all ganged up now have you? Is he on his way here now?" Spencer snarled. "All I want is some peace and quiet without you being there in my shadow, checking up on me, following me around, destroying my things."

Aaron was pressing against the wall. He knew if Spencer attacked, he had no strength to defend himself. One arm was out of commission altogether, and the beating had left him weak.

"I am so s-sorry about the book, Spencer. I will repair it for you. Please let me t-try."

Spencer was at Aaron's throat, squeezing, pressing his thumbs into Aaron's wind pipe, lifting him up off the floor.

"It's destroyed! You can't fix it." he yelled. "You think you can just wave your hands, and everything is fine again. But you can't! You are nothing!"

Aaron pulled at his hands, choking and struggling to breathe. His eyes flickering.

He looked into Spencer's eyes as his lights faded, trying to see a spark of recognition in them, pleading with him.

_Spence, please, don't. Please_…………

Aaron's vision blurred, his hand fell away. As he lost consciousness, he felt Spencer's hands release him, and he fell back to the floor.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

When he woke up, he was lying on his bed. His arm had been bandaged, and his head wound cleaned. Morgan was sitting on the bed beside him.

"Spence! Where's….?"

"It's ok, Hotch. He can't hurt you now."

"You haven't hurt him, have you?" Aaron tried to sit up, but it hurt too much.

"No, nothing permanent anyway!" Morgan was amazed at Hotch's concern for him, after what he'd done. "I've cuffed him to the pipes in the bathroom."

Aaron sighed with relief.

"I don't understand what's going on with him." Aaron said. "One minute he's lovely, the Spencer we all know, the next, he's almost psychotic, as if he's on a psychotic break. He's either sick, or…or…."

"Hotch, I want to get you to a hospital."  
"No." Aaron again attempted to sit up, but fell back down on the bed. "No hospital, no police. I need to handle this. Will you stay and help me?"

"Of course, Hotch, We'll get to the bottom of this."

Aaron held his breath, turned and put his feet on the floor. As soon as he put weight on his legs, pain shot up through his groin. He moaned softly and sat back down.

"I don't think you will be able to walk properly for a while." said Morgan, holding out a hand for Aaron to lean on. "You took quite a beating,"

"I need to see Spencer."

"Ok, come on then, lean on me."

Hanging on to Morgan, Aaron limped painfully out of the bedroom and along to the bathroom, where Spencer was sitting on the floor. Aaron was glad to see that Morgan had given him blankets and cushions.

Morgan waited outside, while Aaron went in to speak to him. Spencer looked up in surprise at Aaron.

"What's going on, Babe?" Spencer looked bewildered and shocked. "What happened to you? Who did this to you?" He pulled at the cuffs. "And why am I cuffed?"

Aaron limped over to Spencer, hanging onto the wall. Each step was agony. He sat down carefully in front of Spencer.

"Sweetheart, you did this to me. I don't understand why." He put his hand under Spencer's chin and lifted his face to look at him. "You wouldn't stop. Morgan had to pull you off me before you killed me. He had to cuff you, you were out of control."

"But…I….I can't remember. I wouldn't hurt you! Why would I hurt you?" Spencer looked frightened. "This can't be real!" He pulled at the cuffs again. "Can you undo these? I want to help you find out what is going on."

"I'm sorry, Spencey. Until we know what's causing this, I can't let you go."

Spencer looked as if he was going to cry.

"I don't know what to say, Babe. I can't believe I would have done this to you." Spencer gently touched Aaron's face. "I am so sorry." He turned away. Aaron turned him to face him again.

"I love you, Spencey." He leaned forwards and kissed him. "I'm going to ask Morgan to cuff you to the bed. You will be more comfortable."

Morgan came into the bathroom, and helped Aaron to his feet. He undid Spencer's cuffs, and led him to the bedroom. Spencer complied, and lay on the bed, while Morgan cuffed him to the rail. Unlike Aaron, Morgan didn't trust him. But then his mind wasn't clouded. He checked that the cuffs were locked, and Spencer couldn't slide his hand out. He was very thin, and Morgan had a flash of concern for him.

But then he remembered what he'd done to Hotch.

And Hotch had let him!

"Hotch said to check if you needed anything. A drink or something to eat?"

_Although if it were me, you'd get nothing!_

"Actually, a coffee would be nice. Thank you."

Morgan sighed, and went back to where he'd left Aaron.

"He wants coffee."

"Don't be mad at him, Morgan."  
"Hotch, if I hadn't arrived when I did, he'd have killed you. How can I not be mad at him?"

"But you did arrive, and he didn't kill me." Aaron smiled painfully. "Let's go downstairs and try and work this out."

Aaron put his arm around Morgan's shoulder, and Morgan held Aaron round the waist. Together they went down to the kitchen and switched on the coffee machine.


	7. Reasons Why

Chapter 7

Reasons Why

Aaron and Morgan sat at the table in the kitchen. Morgan noted how pale Aaron looked, emphasized by the blackness of his hair. His eyes were red rimmed, and circled with dark shadows. He was finding movements, especially walking, very painful.

It had taken a long time to get down the stairs, Aaron's eyes watering with pain. Morgan was very concerned.

"Hotch, I really think I should take you to see a doctor. You don't know what damage he's done to you."

"No, Morgan, I don't need a doctor. I need to sort this out first."

"Ok for now. But if I think you are getting worse, I'll insist, Hotch."

"Maybe." Aaron's speech was slurred. Morgan was very worried.

He stood and poured coffee. He sugared Spencer's. "I'll take this up."

As he was about to leave the kitchen, Aaron called him back.

"Morgan, in the library at the top of the house, there is a book that got ripped in half. Please would you get it after you give Spence his coffee? I don't want him to know we've got it." Aaron looked apologetic. "I'd get it, but…."

"That's ok, Hotch. I'll bring it down."

"Thanks, Derek. It's a really old book, the pages are yellow. And it's in pieces. I think it's important."

Morgan nodded, and went up to give Spencer his drink, then went to collect the remains of the book.

The pages had been picked up off the floor where they'd been earlier, and put in a neat pile on the desk. Morgan picked it up, and took it down stairs.

He put it on the kitchen table.

"So what is it with the book then?"

Aaron picked up the top few pages, these were still attached to each other. He flicked through them.

"Spencer is obsessed with this book. He won't let me touch it. I was holding it earlier, and he snatched it back. That's when it got torn in half." Aaron winced, remembering what came next.

"Are you saying that Reid beat you almost to death because this book got torn?" Morgan was finding it hard to believe.

Aaron nodded, and looked down at his hands, twisting in his lap.

_Just like Spence does when he's scared or nervous!_

"He's been going nuts if I so much as look at it." He glanced toward the stairs, as if afraid Spence would know that they had it there with them. "I was wondering if there were some kind of spores in the paper that were affecting him. Then when he comes away from the book, the affect wears off. We could get some of the pages tested."

Morgan got An evidence bag from his pocket, and put a few random pages in it. He replaced the bag in his pocket.

"That should be enough to test."

Then Aaron gave Morgan an account of what had been going on over the past few days. Even his sullen behavior at work, the way he spoke to JJ, the way he spoke to him.

"His nightmares have started again, so he's not sleeping very well. And he looks so ill, thin and wasted."

Aaron rested his elbows on the table, resting his head in his hands. Morgan could see that he was crying, although he was trying hard not to let it show.

Morgan started to read the pages of the book, Aaron sat, distressed and crying.

Suddenly a dreadful scream split the air.

"What on earth was that?" Morgan jumped from his seat. Aaron looked up at him.

"That was Spence. I've heard that a few times over the last few days."

Morgan frowned. "You should have asked for help earlier."

"How could I, Derek." Aaron was shaking his head. "It was a 'domestic' issue. It wasn't until….. erm…..until…"

"Until he almost killed you? Don't you think that's leaving it a bit late? Look at the state you're in, Hotch."

Aaron sighed, pushing his hand through his hair.

Spencer screamed again.

Morgan said, "I'll go and see what's wrong."

"Be careful, Derek," Aaron said. "He's not well."

Morgan shot him a frustrated look, and went upstairs.

Spencer was standing by the bed, pulling at the cuffs, and screaming in a rage.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he raged. "How dare you restrain me! Undo these cuffs! Now!"

"Reid! Calm down!" Morgan went over to the bed. He saw that Spencer's wrist was bleeding where the cuffs had dug into his flesh. He seemed oblivious to it. "Let me help you get back on the bed."

Spencer swung his fist at Morgan and hit him in the eye. Morgan took a step back. He put his hand on his eye.

"I don't know if you realise this, Reid, but Hotch might stand and let you beat him to a pulp, but if you hit me again, I will hit you back! Do you understand?"

"Undo these restraints!" Spencer's voice was low and threatening. Morgan ignored him and went to the door. Spencer's coffee cup smashed against the door frame next to Morgan's head. Morgan's stride didn't falter. He left the room and closed the door. He could hear Spencer calling him unrepeatable names, screaming, and dragging the bed around the room.

Morgan went back to the kitchen and sat down again. Aaron looked at his eye.

"I said 'be careful'."

Morgan gave Aaron a withering look. "He's freaking out up there. He threw his cup at me."

"So what triggered that?" Aaron frowned. "We've got the book."

"Think. Could it be environmental?" Morgan suggested.

"I've thought of that, Derek. But I've been exposed to the same environmental factors as Spence.

"Something he's eating or drinking?" Morgan picked up part of the book again. "Or maybe it is something with the book."

"Then why isn't it affecting us? I've handled the book, I fell asleep with it. Spencer even brought it to bed, and I've had no ill effects from it."

Aaron was finding it difficult to think through the pain.

"Morgan, I need some pain killers. Would you get me some? They're in the bathroom cabinet."

"I'm surprised you've lasted this long without them." Morgan rested his hand on Aaron's shoulder. "I'll get them."

Morgan disappeared up the stairs to get the painkillers. Aaron sat with his head in his hands.

He heard a sound behind him.

He turned and looked straight into Spencer's deranged eyes.

"Spence….how?..." Aaron noticed that the cuffs were still on his wrist. He stood up with difficulty.

"You took my book again." Spencer was holding a piece of the bed frame in his hand. He stepped towards Aaron. "I told you not to touch it!"

Aaron held his hands in front of his face. He had no protection. He couldn't even run.

_Where are you, Derek? I need you_……..

Spencer swung the piece of metal at Aaron, hitting him in the kidneys. Aaron groaned, and fell to the floor.

"Please, Spencey," He gasped. "Don't…"

His vision was fading. He expected to die.

_Derek!_

Just before the metal bar impacted with Aaron's head, he saw Morgan coming down the stairs.

"Reid! Stop!"

Morgan drew his gun. Spencer smashed Aaron on the side of the head.

Morgan fired.


	8. ER Again

Chapter 8

ER Again

The bullet hit the hand that was holding the length of bed rail. Spencer dropped the weapon with a cry, and looked at his hand in surprise as blood welled and fell to the floor in huge thick drops.

Then he looked down at Aaron

Open mouthed with shock, he knelt next to him, ignoring the blood pouring from his hand, he reached out to touch him.

"Aaron! Oh no! Babe!"

Morgan pulled him away.

"Don't you touch him, you maniac. Get back."

Morgan dragged the shocked Reid to a chair and cuffed his hands around the back. Then he went to Aaron.

He was almost afraid to check for a pulse, so certain was he that there wouldn't be one.

But as he knelt beside him, Aaron reached out a shaking hand to him.

Morgan clasped the hand in his.

"I'm here, Hotch," he said, touching his battered face, "I'm calling emergency services." Morgan opened his phone.

"No!" Aaron struggled to move. "Spence? Is he alright?" Morgan saw that Hotch was crying.

"Reid's ok. Now lay still."

"Derek, help me up. Don't call anyone, not yet."

Sighing, Morgan put his arm round Aaron and tried to move him. Aaron screamed in pain. Morgan saw Hotch's blood on his hand where Reid had hit him on the side, breaking the skin.

He pressed 911.

"Please don't….."

"Lay still and don't move, Hotch. You're going to hospital."

Aaron rested his head back down, in too much pain to argue. He closed his eyes to stop the tears. Morgan finished the call, and got a cushion and a throw from the living room, and tried to make Hotch comfortable. Every little move made him wince in agony. The side of his head, his ear and jaw, were a mess.

"Rest, Hotch. The ambulance is coming."

"Don't…uuuh…tell…."

"It's ok, Hotch, I won't." Morgan held Aaron's hand tightly. "Now stop talking, try to relax. You stressing is making it worse"

Morgan glanced over to Reid, who was sitting with his head down. Morgan could see his body shaking in grief.

_What the hell is wrong with you, Reid?_

"Just a minute, Hotch. I've got to move Reid before the paramedics get here."

Morgan let go of Hotch's hand, stood up and went over to Reid. Reid looked up at him with tear stained frightened eyes.

"Hotch doesn't want anyone to know it was you that did this." said Morgan "I'm going to move you, so that the paramedics don't see you."

"P-please, Morgan, let me stay with him."

Morgan didn't answer, and he lifted the chair with Reid on it, and carried it into the living room. He knew the chair wouldn't hold him if he snapped again, but he felt he could handle Reid.

He checked the bullet wound in Reid's hand. It was still bleeding a little. He pulled a cover off a cushion, and wrapped it around Reid's hand.

"Press on it with this." he said. "To stop the bleeding."

Behind his back, Reid wrapped his good hand around the broken one, and pressed onto the wound.

"I'll see to it properly when the ambulance is gone."

Reid looked up at Morgan. "I'm s-sorry." His voice was soft, afraid.

Morgan felt pity for him. But without the love that Hotch felt, it was not enough to temper is anger.

He closed the door of the living room and shut out the sound of Reid's sobbing.

Morgan went to sit with Hotch to wait for the paramedics.

Hotch's breathing was ragged and uneven, the bloody patch on his side was growing. Morgan felt the urge to embrace him, but every touch made him cry out in pain. So he just held his hand.

His hair was sticky and wet with blood, which was running into a pool around his head. Morgan didn't know whether or not to try and stop the bleeding. He knew that head trauma like this could be dangerous, especially if the skull was broken, as it likely was.

So he sat, and held his hand, and prayed.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was about five minutes later that the door was knocked. Morgan called for the paramedics to come straight in.

He released Hotch's hand and stepped back.

"What's his name?" asked one of the paramedics

"Aaron Hotchner. He's an FBI Agent."

"Aaron, we've come to help you…….."

Morgan noticed that Hotch wasn't responding. He felt tears fogging his vision.

"What happened here?"

"He was beaten. Over a few days." Morgan felt his stomach lurch, thinking of what Hotch had been through, and been unable to call for help out of his need to protect Reid. "Is he going to be alright?"

Even as he asked the question, he knew it was a foolish one.

"We're going to do our best." replied one of them, inadequately. It was not the answer Morgan wanted, and he felt a stab of fear.

"Do you know who did this? The police will have to be informed."

"It's….erm….something to do with a case." Morgan lied. "The FBI is onto it, so please don't involve the police."

The paramedic nodded, and the two of them lifted Hotch's inert form onto a stretcher. Hotch didn't cry out, and his body was limp.

"Is he alright?"

"It's ok, sir. We've given him something for the pain." They picked up the stretcher. "Do you want to ride in the ambulance?"

"No, I'll follow on. Which hospital are you taking him to?"

"The Potomac." They lifted Hotch between them and covered him with a blanket. Morgan saw Hotch's hand fall from the stretcher. He turned away in fear.

"When he wakes up,"-_if he wakes up,- _"tell him I'll be there as soon as I can."

He followed them out to the ambulance, and watched as they loaded Hotch into the back. He waited until the ambulance was gone from his sight, then went back in to deal with Reid.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Reid was still sitting as Morgan had left him. He looked up when he entered the room. His eyes were wide and tears were still falling.

"Is Aaron…..?"

"If you mean 'Is he alive?', then yes. At least he was when they took him out. But if you mean 'Is he ok?', then I don't know. I doubt it. You may have killed him. If you haven't he'll be traumatized," Morgan was too upset to try and soften his words.

"Now, Reid. We have to work this out."

Spencer didn't say anything. He felt an overwhelming grief for Aaron, and couldn't understand that he was the one who hurt him.

Morgan was speaking. "We ruled out environmental. We thought it could be the book, spores or something. It's unlikely though, as Hotch was exposed, and he wasn't affected. I've taken a sample to be tested, though, just in case." He noted that there was no angry reaction from Reid. "You've eaten the same things, breathed the same air….." Morgan frowned in thought. He reached over and switched on the espresso machine.

"I am going to undo the cuffs, Reid." Morgan said. "But remember, I have a gun. And as you know, I will use it."

Reid nodded miserably.

Morgan went behind Reid, and released his hands. He gently removed the cuffs from his bleeding wrists. Reid laid his hands in his lap. Morgan checked the GSW.

"It looks ok." Morgan said.

He suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for Reid. He looked small and frightened, and Morgan knew he wouldn't have hurt Hotch deliberately. There had to be something behind it. He rubbed the back of his head in frustration.

"So, it's not environmental, can't be the book, you eat the same food….." He poured the coffee, and reached for the sugar……


	9. Result

Chapter 9

Result

Reid moved his chair close to the table and picked up his drink.

"Thanks, Morgan." he whispered.

Morgan didn't say anything; he just sipped his drink and watched.

The book was still on the table where Hotch had left it. Morgan glanced at it, waiting to see if Reid would mention it.

Morgan reached for it and pulled it towards him, opening it as if to read it..

Still no reaction.

Reid drank his coffee, and Morgan watched him.

Suddenly, Reid was on his feet, leaning on the table. He went to snatch the book. Morgan pulled it away.

Reid's eyes darkened.

"Give me the book."

Morgan stared in surprise.

It had worked.

He had solved it.

"I said…" Reid clenched his fist, drew it back to hit Morgan.

Morgan hit him first.

On the side of the head, Morgan swung his joined fists, knocking Reid off his feet and across the room.

He went to him and checked him over. He was out cold, but undamaged. Morgan picked him up and carried him upstairs. He laid him on his bed, cuffing both hands to the bed posts so that he couldn't get off. He wrapped sheeting around his wrists first, so that he wouldn't cut them anymore, and he bandaged the gun shot wound. He sat by the bed and waited.

While he was waiting, he took out his phone and called the hospital, for any news about Hotch.

Nothing yet. He was still in resus.

Morgan left his number.

Reid was twitching and fighting the restraints, even though he wasn't conscious. His eyes were flicking from side to side behind closed lids. What ever drug it was in the sugar, it was certainly powerful.

He felt Reid's skin. It was red hot. His heart was beating too fast, Morgan could see the rhythm through his chest wall behind his ribs.

Morgan noticed a yellow tinge to Reid's nails. He leaned over and lifted his eye lid.

Yellow there too.

This poison, or drug, was damaging his liver.

Morgan gently brushed his hair back, feeling so sorry for him.

He had beaten and possibly killed the man he loved, because someone was poisoning him.

He looked closely at the finger nails.

There were tiny ridges forming at the nail beds.

Morgan sighed. A slow but devastating poison.

Reid was coming to. He was still enraged, yanking at the cuffs.

Morgan stood by the bed. "Reid, I know what has happened. I know what's going on!"

Reid wasn't listening. "Release me now!" he raged. "You just want to take the book! I know what you're doing! You and Hotchner, in it together!" Reid's normally soft eyes were hard and angry. "Now release me!"

"I can't, Reid. But I will soon."

Morgan felt distress seeing Reid like this. He realised how Hotch must have felt, and why he didn't fight back.

It was awful.

After a while, Reid seemed to calm down. He was whimpering now, as if in pain.

"Where does it hurt, Reid?"

"Stomach…really bad…" Reid drew his legs up towards his chest in an effort to relieve the pain.

"I'm….going t-to f-faint…" His eyes rolled and his muscles relaxed.

Morgan checked his heart and breathing. They seemed to be back to normal.

He checked the time. It had been more than three hours since he had carried him up the stairs. He guessed Reid must be exhausted.

He stroked Reid's forehead, glistening with sweat.

He called the hospital again.

Hotch was in intensive care. He had internal injuries, including a ruptured liver. He had had to have his spleen removed, as it was bleeding into his body cavity. Several ribs had been broken, and his face was being held together with plates and wires. One of his kidneys was damaged, but hopefully it would recover. In the meantime, he was on dialysis, to give it a chance.

"Whoever did this to him did a pretty good job." the ICU nurse said. "If nothing goes wrong, hopefully he'll make it. But he's not out of the woods yet." Morgan heard her sigh. "He died twice in the OR. They almost lost him."  
"Is he awake?"

"No, he's sedated. He would be in too much pain for us to wake him up." She paused. Morgan guessed there was more.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Well, the head trauma was extensive." She paused. She hated giving news like this, especially over the phone. "There could be brain damage. We won't know how much until we bring him round. And even then, he could recover, with therapy and care."

Morgan put a hand to his forehead.

_Oh god, no!_

He looked at Reid. How would he live with this? Morgan knew it wasn't his fault, but would Reid be able to forgive himself? Morgan didn't think _he_ would be able to, so how would Reid, whose emotional stability was so shaky?

"Thank you." he said to the nurse.

Morgan cut the connection, and turned back to Reid. He was waking up.

"What happened, Morgan?" Realization hit him. "Oh no. Where's Aaron?"

"I've sent him to hospital." Morgan said gently. "I've just called. He's…erm…recovering in ICU."

"I can't remember. Did I hurt him? I wouldn't hurt him. I love him!" Reid's eyes were filling with tears again. Morgan touched his face.

"I know what's been happening. You've been poisoned, or drugged." Reid opened his eyes wide.

"How?"

"It's the sugar. The only thing that you had that Hotch didn't is the sugar. Presumably, whoever did this meant to get you both."

"But who? And how?...I don't understand!"

"I am going to take a sample back to the lab." Morgan reached up and un-cuffed Reid's wrists. "You can come too."

"But what if I……erm….you know….?"

"I'll be watching you, Reid."

Morgan bound Reid's wrists and the GSW with clean bandages. Reid went upstairs to get dressed, wearing a long sleeved shirt to cover the bandages on his wrists. He didn't want anyone at work to think had tried to cut himself.

He brushed his hair, and washed his face.

Brushing his hair upset him. He knew how Aaron liked to do that. What if he never would again?

_Please, Aaron, don't leave me. I love you. I am so sorry!_

He felt tears stab at his eyes again. He bent forward as the clutching pain pulled at his stomach. In the mirror, he noticed a yellow tinge in his eyes and skin.

His skin looked thin and papery. He looked sick.

Could that be an excuse?

_I'm sorry I murdered my lover, you see, I wasn't well_….

No. It couldn't. There was no excuse for what he had done.

He turned from the mirror in despair, and went downstairs to Morgan.

Morgan had filled an evidence bag with sugar, and was ready.

"Come on then, Reid. Let's get this stuff analyzed. Then we might be able to ID the UnSub."

Reid nodded.

They drove away from the house towards Quantico and the FBI labs.

_Aaron_….._I'm so sorry_……..


	10. Bane

Chapter 10

_**Wendy Williams wrote**, "Where beads and rattles once served to destroy, now a poison will suffice."_

Bane

They went straight to the labs when they got to the FBI building. Spencer wanted to avoid the BAU for now. He was afraid of questions to which he had no answers.

That in itself was scary. He usually had answers, but this was different. He was scared and ill and racked with overpowering guilt. He wanted to hang onto Morgan as if he was a lifeguard and he was drowning.

The lab rats were giving him strange enough looks anyway.

Morgan gave the sugar to a woman, whose name tag said Gina.

"This is contaminated sugar." Morgan explained. "We need to know as much as possible about the contaminant. If you can, we need the source."

Gina measured out a small quantity of a solvent, and added some of the sugar that Morgan had given her. She adjusted the filter.

"How long will this take?" Morgan asked?

"Well, you could go and have a coffee while I do this."

Morgan glanced at Spencer.

"Erm….thanks, but we'll wait. I've got something else; I'll give it to another tech. I don't want to hold you up" Morgan gave Gina that smile of his, and they went to another bench, another young woman.

Morgan took out the bag with the yellowing pages in. He watched Reid while he did it.

No reaction. Good.

"Please would you…..erm….excuse me…."

The young woman, Susan, dragged her eyes away from an embarrassed Spencer and looked at Morgan.

"Oh…sorry. You were saying?"

"Yes." Morgan gave Reid a sideways glance. (He never thought a woman would ignore him to look at Reid. He must be losing his touch!) He showed her the bag with the pages in.

"It's possible that there might be spores of some kind either on or in this paper. Would you be able to check for me?"

She took the bag from Morgan. "Urgent?"

"Well, yes, it is really." he smiled. "ASAP?"

"Morgan," Reid drew Morgan aside. "I need to go to the bathroom."

He put his hand across his mouth, and staggered towards the men's toilets. Morgan followed him He really wanted to carry him and run, but he didn't think Reid would thank him for it.

He just made it before he threw up in the basin.

When Morgan came in, he was clutching his stomach, heaving and coughing.

"Oh….Morgan!"

He tried to speak, but the retching was too much. With one hand on the basin holding himself upright, and the other clasped across his stomach, he heaved nothing from his empty stomach.

Morgan stood behind him, hand on his shoulder, waiting for it to be over.

When at last his body tired of being sick when there was nothing there, he turned and slid down the wall. Morgan gave him some paper towels and some water.

Reid's eyes were watering from the effort. He coughed into the towel.

Breathing shakily, he looked at Morgan, who had stooped down in front of him. Reid tried to move, but his legs wouldn't do as he asked.

"Morgan, I can't get up."

The whites of Reid's eyes were darker now.

"I'm taking you to hospital, Reid." Spencer opened his mouth to object, Morgan put his finger to Reid's lips.

"No arguing from you, Reid." He picked Reid up. "I'm taking you!"

Spencer frowned at him. "Let me walk!"

Carefully, Morgan stood him on the floor. Almost at once, His legs buckled, and he fell against Morgan.

"I think I will have to carry you, Reid."

He picked him up again, and carried him out of the toilets.

"I'll take you out of the emergency exit, and bring the car round for you." Morgan pushed open the door, and sat Spencer on the pavement out side.

"I'll be as quick as I can."

Morgan ran around the building to where his car was parked. Spencer sat alone and frightened leaning on the wall.

His mind went over what he could remember of the last few days, and what he had done to Aaron. His eyes filled up again, he needed to see him. He needed to tell him how sorry he was.

Sorry just wasn't enough. He had said sorry for things before. This was different. There wasn't a word to describe how he was feeling now.

_Oh Aaron, please, Aaron. Please get better. Please don't leave me_…..

Morgan's car came around the corner. Spencer pulled himself up the wall onto trembling legs.

"Morgan. Please take me to Aaron first."  
"No, Reid. I'm taking you to be sorted first."

Morgan helped him to the car and strapped him in.

"I am going to take you, then I am coming back here for the results." Spencer started to say something. Morgan cut him off.

"No arguments!"

Spencer sat back and gave none.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Reid made no objections to being carried into the ER. A doctor pushed a trolley over and Morgan laid him down on it.

"His name is Spencer Reid, he's with the FBI. He has been ingesting poison over the last few days."

"Do you know what?" the doctor asked, wheeling Reid into a side room.

"It's being analysed at the moment. As soon as I know he's ok, I'm going back for the results."

"Well, I suggest you go now. We will need the results before we can treat him."

Morgan squeezed Reid's hand. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Reid. You hold on."

Morgan ran back out to his car, and drove back to the lab.

Gina had just got the results, and was looking it up in a thick reference book.

"What is it, Gina?" Morgan pulled a stool over to where she was working.

She handed Morgan the print-out.

"I've not come across this before. I ran it twice in case I had made a mistake, but it is right.

Morgan read the print-out:

…..

_DDB – Ditiscid Death Bane_

_Distilled from the carapace of Histerida Ditiscidae, a South American beetle._

_White odorless, tasteless crystalline substance, dissolves readily in water and most organic solvents._

_Action – on adrenal and pituitary glands, effect is usually within one minute of ingestion._

_Can cause – Anxiety, rage, obsessive behavior, paranoia, migraine, fainting (due to hypogycaemia), rapid or irregular heart beat / palpitations, vomiting, liver failure, coma, death._

_DDB is of moderate toxicity, but has a cumulative affect. _

_Takes up to three weeks to be safely metabolized._

…..

Morgan read it through again.

"Where does this come from?"

"I've just looked it up, because I thought you might ask me that." Gina smiled at Morgan. "it says in here, that it was used by Peruvian tribal priests to induce a trance. You can only get it by importing the Bane, which is actually illegal, or importing the beetles, and making your own. I guess it could be on the web."

Morgan was still re-reading the list of symptoms.

_Obsessive behavior. Paranoia._

The book had nothing to do with anything, apart from being the object of Reid's obsession.

He thanked her, and went to check on Susan.

"I couldn't find anything, Sir. The paper's clean."

"Thank you." He picked up the remains of the pages.

"Any time!" She smiled as Morgan ran out of the lab.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**A/N -**** DDB [Ditiscid Death Bane is a figment of my (rather overactive) imagination.**


	11. Next of Kin

Chapter 11

Next of Kin

When Morgan arrived at the hospital, Reid was not in the room where he had last seen him.

He came back out of the door in a panic. Where was he?

At that moment, the lift door opened, and a porter came out, pushing Spence on a trolley. Spencer clutching his stomach, trying in vain to sit up.

Morgan ran over to him.

"Don't look…..s-so s-scared ….just had t-test." Spencer was finding it difficult to speak in his weakness and pain.

Her looked so ill, it scared Morgan. His eyes were almost closed, and his colour was terrible. He was clutching a kidney bowl in his hand.

"F-feel so s-sick…" he stammered.

Morgan took over the trolley from the porter, who smiled and stood back.

He wheeled the trolley back into the little room, and sat next to him. He stroked his hair and burning hot skin.

When the doctor entered the room a minute or so later, Morgan handed him the print out that Gina had given him.

He read through it.

"Yes, as I thought, drug induced hepatitis. Mr. Reid has had an ultrasound, and this has ruled out gall bladder disease and tumors. We have taken blood for biochemistry, but we haven't got the results back yet."

Morgan held Reid's hand as the doctor gave them the news.

"So, w-what happens now?" Spencer's voice was too quiet. Morgan squeezed his hand.

"Well, now that the poison has been identified, and the administering of is has ceased, Mr. Reid should recover." He looked again at the print out. "Unfortunately, it says on here that it can take three weeks to metabolize the poison, so he could get worse before he gets better."

Reid groaned at the prospect. "I'm g-going to….."

He threw up in the bowl, and lay back down with tears in his eyes. "Aaron? Have you s-seen him yet?"

Morgan released Reid's hand. "I'll go now, and I'll come back and tell you."

_The kid's terrified, and I can't blame him. I just hope I can bring him back some good news._

With a final brush of Reid's hair, Morgan left the room to go and see Hotch.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Morgan didn't know what he expected to see when he reached Hotch's ward. The last time he saw him, being loaded into the ambulance, he looked as if he would die. He opened the door cautiously.

Hotch lay on his back, slightly propped up. The one good thing that could be said was that he was breathing on his own.

But to Morgan, that was the only good thing.

The side of his head (Morgan could still hear the sound of the metal bar crashing down onto his skull) was covered in a dressing, but blood had soaked through and was dripping steadily onto his pillow. His wounds on his face were stitched, and his eyes, so dark and expressive, were bruised and swollen, and taped shut. He had tubes in his nose, supplying oxygen, and monitors attached to his chest, measuring his heart beats. A tube from his right inner elbow was snaking his blood into a dialysis machine, which was humming its life giving monotonous tune. His normally healthy tanned akin was white and bruised, and IV's took fluids into his body.

Morgan sat beside him, and he noticed that although his eyes were taped shut, tears were escaping from beneath his lids, and running down the side of his face.

Morgan's heart ached. He took Aaron's hand, and started talking to him, letting his eyes glance round the room as he did so.

They alighted on his chart, hanging on the side of the bed. Absently, he picked it up and let his eyes pass over it.

They focused on one line at the top of the page.

DNR

He stared at it, unable to make sense of it. He checked that it was Aaron's chart.

It was.

"I just need to do something, Hotch!"

He let go of his hand, and picking up the chart, Morgan strode to the ICU nurses station.

He slammed the chart down on the desk.

"Who ordered 'Do Not Resuscitate' on Hotchner?" He tried to keep his voice level but he was finding it difficult.

The nurse took the chart. "You will have to speak to the doctor about that." she answered, not at all happy at the way Morgan was speaking to her.

"I'd like to see him." he said. Adding, "Please!"

She picked up the phone, and dialed an internal number. "There's a…erm …gentleman. ..." she threw Morgan an irritated glance. "..here who wishes to speak to you concerning Aaron Hotchner's DNR order." A pause. "Very well, I'll let him know."

She put down the receiver.

The Doctor will be with you in fifteen minutes. If you would like to wait….."

"I'll be with Hotch!" he snapped, and strode back to Aaron's ward.

He took Aaron's hand again. He was sure he felt it move, but he knew that often in cases like this, it was either the imagination or simple reflex.

Hotch wasn't on life support, but he was in a deep drug induced coma. Only time would tell if he was going to recover from this.

Morgan thought back to Reid, so ill, and very likely torn apart by guilt.

He was going to have a hard time coming to terms with this, even with Hotch making a full recovery. If he doesn't, well, the affect on Reid would be disastrous.

He might not even survive it.

He was going to sort this DNR out, then he was going to find this SOB.

When the doctor finally arrived, (his arrogant strut would give Morgan's a run for its money,) Morgan stood and pointed at the three letters on the top of the page.

"That was already in his notes, Mr.… er…"

"Morgan."

"Yes, Mr. Morgan. We called his wife; her number is in his cell phone. She reiterated that order."

"His wife?!" Morgan yelled, and suddenly remembering he was in the ICU, he lowered his voice. "Do you realise, his wife is divorcing him, and at this moment, she is out on bail on an attempted murder charge, accused of attempting to murder him, and another FBI agent?" Morgan's voice was low and frightening. The doctor had stepped back away from him.

"Erm…no, we weren't aware of that. So who is his next of kin?"

"His name is Doctor Spencer Reid, and unless they have found him a bed, he is downstairs in the ER."

"Oh, very well. I will go and speak to this Dr. Reid." He nodded to Morgan, "And thank you for the information."

The doctor exited the room backwards, not wanting to turn his back on Morgan.

Morgan sat back down next to Aaron. "I hope you didn't hear all that, Hotch. I suppose you couldn't fail to hear the first bit." He patted Aaron's hand between his. "I'm going to find the UnSub now, I'll come back later."

Morgan left the hospital. He had work to do.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**A/N Sorry that was a boring chapter – a filly in one. Please stay with it.**

**Thank you all my wonderful reviewers.**


	12. The Stairwell

Chapter 12

_Prince Wendell once said, "I know this is highly irregular, but would you mind giving me a cuddle, please?_

The Stairwell 

Spencer had been left alone in the little room in the ER. They were still deciding which ward he should go into.

They had told him he wouldn't be able to see Aaron

But he had to.

He lay there looking at the ceiling, thinking about him.

Morgan hadn't come back, and Spence was really frightened that it was because the news was bad.

If Aaron was going to die, he had to see him. He needed to tell him how 'sorry' (that woefully inadequate word) he was. He needed to ask Aaron to understand.

Or if he was going to die, he needed to know if Aaron could forgive him for what he had done

With the help of the bars that were preventing him from falling off the trolley, he managed to sit up. The pain made him gasp, but he didn't cry out loud, as he didn't want anyone to come in.

The pain was too much. He clutched his middle, waiting for the pain to fade.

He rolled onto his stomach and carefully slid his legs over onto the floor. Holding the trolley, he found his feet and stood, his legs trembling and shaking.

It took a while before he could let go of the trolley, but biting his lip and with his hands on the wall, he got to the door.

Very slowly, so as not to attract any attention, he opened the door and looked out towards the nurses' station.

There was no-one about. He could see the lift, but it was too far for him to get to. He would be seen.

There was a door to the stair well opposite his room. He let go of the wall. Holding his breath, and trying to ignore the pain, he took a step into the corridor.

One step. That was enough for his body. The walls began to waver and flow, and his head smacked onto the hard floor.

This time he couldn't prevent himself from crying out. His forehead was bleeding into his eyes as he crawled forwards through the door into the stairwell, leaving a blood trail behind him.

As the doors closed behind him, he collapsed onto the floor. Breathing heavily, he pushed himself up again, and looked upwards.

There were three floors in the Potomac. He didn't know which floor housed the ICU. He hoped there would be a sign by the stairwell doors. He had to get it right. He doubted he had the energy for two attempts.

He crawled to the first step, and began the arduous climb.

He felt sick again, and doubted that he would make it to the top without throwing up. His limbs were weak and shaky. They seemed to think about the messages from his brain, then decide whether or not to obey. He stopped to wipe blood from his eyes, and push his hair behind his ears as it stuck to his face.

Half way up the first short flight, Spencer stopped and threw up on the floor.

He rested his head on the next step, recovering his balance and trying to stop the tremors.

_Aaron, I will make it to you. I need to see you_…….

He took a shuddering breath, and carried on.

Another step. Another painful cramp.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

A woman was coming down the stairs. She saw him struggling to climb up.

She stood and watched, as the man painfully dragged himself up the stairs, and she smiled.

This wasn't so hard.

She waited.

He seemed to be taking forever, but she was in no hurry. The one upstairs was all but finished, thanks to this excuse for a man just below her.

Damn them! It should have worked.

No matter, she could finish it here.

She watched as the man stopped again, three steps from the top. She noticed there were tears in his eyes, and they were washing blood down his cheeks.

It was an interesting sight. She would remember that, it would look good on paper.

She could hear him whimpering every now and then. He was obviously dying, which was also interesting. No self preservation, this one. All sacrificial, and for that one upstairs, who, if this one didn't get moving, was going to die before he got there.

She smiled briefly, but it had all gone wrong. So the smile faded as quickly as it had come.

The man reached the small landing half way up the first flight. He pulled himself into the middle, away from the drop, and rolled onto his back.

His arms wrapped around his middle, and he lay, gasping in agony. She watched his tears flow down the sides of his face into his bloody hair. He turned onto his side and whimpered in pain, drawing his legs up.

So pathetic. He was never going to get to the top in time!

She waited and watched, taking mental notes of what she was seeing.

All useful stuff, if not what she had hoped for.

He turned onto his front again, and, after emptying his stomach of secretions, (So disgusting, she thought,) he crawled to the next flight.

She clapped her hands in delight. He heard the sound, and looked up with sick yellow eyes.

"Help me….p-please."

Oh I'll help you, alright!

"Oh of course, Dear. Where are you trying to get to?"

She grinned. What an actress!

The man said nothing. He lay on his back on the bottom steps, his eyes closed, weak thin arms thrown wide.

"H-help…."

She bent down to him, and pulled him upright by the hospital gown he was wearing.

His head hung back, his eyes, had they been open, were facing the ceiling, his arms now hanging uselessly at his side.

"Where are you going?"

It didn't feel right to Spence. These hands were rough and they were hurting him.

"Aaron. I n-need to s-see Aaron." he whispered.

"Well, I'm afraid you can't." She tilted his head so that he was facing her. "Open your eyes."

Spencer opened them a little. The woman holding him he didn't recognize. She was not a nurse, no uniform. A doctor perhaps?

"Are you seeing me?" she asked. Spencer nodded.

"So, let me tell you why you will not be seeing Aaron. It's because he's dead." She noted the wide eyed shock register on the young mans face.

It was a nice face, apart from the colour.

No matter, she was learning a lot here.

"Dead?" Spencer formed the word, but he made no sound. He felt his weak effete body shake with grief..

_Aaron, I am too late_……….

"Let me tell you where you are going, you filthy dog." She pulled him back to the stairs he had just so gruelingly climbed. "You are going back down stairs."

Spencer moaned softly, too weak to resist. She smiled. She liked that. She shook him so that he would do it again.

This was good.

She took a phone out of her pocket, and switched it to 'rec vid'.

She picked Spencer up by his neck. He didn't struggle, but he looked into her eyes.

She turned him away so she didn't have to look at them.

Using one hand, she lifted him off his feet, and held him over the stairs. With the other she pointed the camera lens.

She let go of Spencer's exhausted body, and filmed him as he fell back down the stairs, and lay very still at the bottom.

She flicked her phone off, and went back up.


	13. UnSub

Chapter 13

The UnSub

Morgan was standing outside the hospital talking on his phone.

"Histerida Ditiscidae is the name of the beetle, and Diticid Death Bane or DDB, the name of the extract." he explained. "I need sources of either, and a list of anyone who has made enquiries about them or purchased either."

"I'm on it, Angel Fish….Oh, it appears that importing DDB is actually illegal, although that isn't going to stop it being imported, I guess."

"While you are on it, any information on the poison would be good." he said. "The doctors here don't seem to know much about it."

"Will do."

Garcia cut then connection. Morgan put his phone away, and re-entered the hospital. Now to go and talk to Reid.

Although what he was going to say was lost to him. Things didn't look good for Hotch. Morgan was finding it difficult to come to terms with that. Goodness only knew how Reid was going to take it.

Poor Spencer. This was such a huge burden for someone as ill equipped as Reid to carry!

As he approached Reid's room the first thing he noticed was blood on the floor. He ran the rest of the way, and burst through the door.

Reid wasn't there.

He called for a nurse.

"I really hope you are going to tell me that Dr. Reid has been taken for tests." He said when the nurse arrived.

She looked around the room, as if she might suddenly see him. "No, we are waiting for a bed for him."

"There's blood on the floor outside." He opened the door so that she could see. It was at that moment that the doctor to whom Morgan had been speaking earlier arrived.

"I need to speak to Dr. Spencer Reid." he informed the nurse. She looked at the empty trolley, and then at the doctor.

"We've…erm…lost him."

The doctor was about to say something, when he saw what Morgan was doing.

Morgan had seen that the blood trail went through the door opposite. He pushed the door to open it, but there was something on the other side preventing it. He pushed harder.

Reid was lying on the other side of the door in a pool of blood.

"Oh my god!" the nurse put a hand to her face.

The doctor pushed past Morgan and knelt beside Reid. He checked his airways and pulse. "Get a trolley here! Now!"

The nurse rushed off down the corridor.

Morgan looked on in horror.

"Is he…erm…?"

"No, but he soon will be if I don't get him off the floor."

Morgan looked up the stairs. Carefully avoiding the blood and stomach secretions, he went to the top of the flight.

"It looks as if he tried to get up stairs, and fell." the doctor asked, as he and the nurse gently lifted Reid onto the trolley.

Morgan was on the landing, examining the blood smears.

"I think that is what it was supposed to look like. But I don't think that that is what happened." Morgan called to the nurse. "Please would you ask security to block off this stairwell?"

She nodded and went to the phone.

Morgan went back down to Reid.

He was lying very still on his side on the trolley. Morgan had so many things he wanted to ask, he didn't know where to start. So he said nothing, and listened.

"Dr. Reid has severe head trauma. It looks as if his arm could be broken. As you can see he's not conscious, whether through the trauma, or his damaged liver, I can't tell without tests." He looked at Morgan. He could see the genuine concern on the doctor's face. "It doesn't look good. I will call the ICU. I think that is where he needs to be now." The doctor left to make the necessary arrangements.

Morgan looked at Spencer, small, sick and thin. He felt an urge to pick him up and hold him close.

Again, he understood. He was beginning to see how Hotch felt.

As the doctor returned, Morgan said, "I am going to call on the crime scene unit to take a look at the stair well. I don't think Reid fell. I think he was pushed. Please make sure that Dr. Reid is not left alone. Not even for a minute."

Morgan went to the reception desk. "Please would you call the ICU? I need to speak to someone up there."

The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed, and gave it to Morgan.

"Please would you ensure that Aaron Hotchner is not left alone. I will arrange for police protection, but in the meantime, please watch him, and do not allow any visitors."

The answer made Morgan drop the phone and run to the lift.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aaron was floating in a safe place, but he was alone. For a long time, no-one called him, and he rested. He could remember terrible pain, and confusion. But both were gone now. He just floated.

He remembered Spence. In his dark safe place, he called silently to him, but there was no answer.

He was alone.

A voice cut through his silent world. Harsh, hateful. A woman's voice.

He could not understand the words, but the feelings in the words screamed at him.

His safe place was compromised, disturbed. He was stabbed by fear and uncertainty.

He needed Spence. He wanted to feel the stability of his love for him.

He reached out, but all there was for him was hatred and cruelty.

Aaron pulled away, sank deeper into the abyss, trying to find the lonely peace he had lost, to hide in.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Morgan crashed into Hotch's room.

A woman was by his bed, holding the dialysis tube. Aaron's precious life blood was pumping onto the floor, a large red puddle already formed.

Morgan threw himself at her, taking the tube from her hand and bending the end over, preventing any more loss of blood. He shouted for assistance.

He held the woman in his grasp, amazed at her strength. He tried to push her down onto the floor, but she twisted her arms away, and punched Morgan squarely on the nose.

The shock stopped him in his tracks for a second. The woman took advantage and pushed past him, out of the room. Morgan wiped the blood off his mouth and nose, and shouted for help.

A nurse came in, and before she could say anything, he gave her the end of the tube he had been holding, and ran out after the woman.

He took out his mobile, and called for back-up. He ran past the nurses' station, flashing his ID at the young woman sitting there.

"Get this hospital locked down!" he yelled. "No-one in or out!"

It took a moment for his words to register, and she was on the phone to security.

Morgan looked up and down the corridor. He didn't know where the woman had gone, but he was determined that she would not escape.

He pressed the back of his hand under his nose and took some tissues off the desk.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

One floor below him, a man stood in front of the mirror in the men's room. He wiped his face with a wet paper towel, and combed his hair. He smiled to himself in the mirror. Yes, he was pleased with what he saw. He pushed the bundle of clothes that he was holding into the trash, and with a happy smirk, left the room.


	14. Together

Chapter 14

Together

The Police had set up desks in the reception area. They were taking names and addresses of everyone in the building before they let them out. Those who were willing gave DNA swabs and fingerprints.

Morgan knew that the UnSub, if they'd locked down in time and she hadn't already gone, would not be willing to give these, but all those that did could be eliminated.

They had asked if they should do everyone, or just the women. Morgan thought about it and decided yes. Once they were out of the building, they would be untraceable. This way they had potential witnesses to call on too.

The CSU was processing the stair well where Spencer had been attacked. So far they confirmed what Morgan had thought, that Spencer had been pushed, or as they said, 'dropped' down the stairs.

The thought sickened Morgan

There were hundreds of prints. Too many for them to be of any use. There was a partial shoe print in Reid's blood, though, which should prove useful.

To try to keep occupied, Morgan wandered among the visitors and staff who were trying to get home. He was fairy certain that he would know the woman if he saw her again.

_If I got into a fight with her, I could definitely identify her_ he thought wryly, rubbing his wrist.

He notified the cop in charge, and went up to the third floor to see his friends.

Aaron hadn't moved since the last visit, except his head wound had been redressed, and his pillow changed. The dialysis had been stopped until the next day, and the room seemed too quiet. Just the beep of the heart monitor. Morgan sat with him for a while and talked to him, explaining what was going on downstairs.

He guessed though, that what he really wanted to know was how Spencer was.

"I'll go and see Reid now, Hotch, and let you know how he is."

A quick squeeze of Hotch's hand, and he went along the corridor to Reid's room.

Over the bed, a sign, 'Dr. Spencer Reid' and underneath, 'nil by mouth'.

But Reid wasn't there. He asked one of the nurses.

"He's in theatre. He had bone fragments embedded in his brain, and the surgeons are attempting to remove them."

She must have seen the fear wash over Morgan's face, because she added quickly, "This is fairly common with head trauma. Don't worry."

He asked about Aaron. "Do you know when he will be allowed to come out of the coma?"

"The doctor checks him daily." she replied. "When he thinks Mr. Hotchner has recovered his strength enough, he will gradually reduce the drug, and he will slowly come round." She was very sweet. Morgan thought that under different circumstances, he might have asked her out.

"Thank you…" He read her name tag. "…Talia."

He smiled at her winningly, and returned to Reid's room to wait for him.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was over an hour later that Reid was wheeled back to the room. He was wired up to monitors and drips – vitamin and mineral supplements - and some of his hair had been shaved at the back where he had been injured when he was dropped down the stairs.

Thinking of the fear Reid must have felt made Morgan's stomach clench.

Reid's eyes were closed, but not taped shut, and he was breathing on his own. Morgan noticed that Reid's hand was now stitched and dressed.

He watched as he was wheeled into place, and the bed locked in position. The doctor made some adjustments on the drips, and turned to go.

Morgan called him back.

"Well?"

"Dr. Reid has extensive head trauma. Are you a relative?"

"Reid has no relatives. The people he works with are his family. So yes, I guess I am a relative."

Morgan could see that the doctor wasn't too sure about it, but he said to Morgan, "We can't give you a prognosis, I'm afraid. He needs to wake up on his own now. If he wakes up, then we will be able to give you a prognosis. Until he does, he's in God's hands."

Morgan gave a small nod. He didn't trust himself to speak.

Then, "Just a question, Doctor. Aaron Hotchner is Dr. Reid's …erm…partner. Would it be possible for them to be in the same room?" Morgan asked. "There has been a similar situation in their past, where their closeness helped each of them to recover."

"Well, Mr. Morgan, their insurance allows for private rooms for them. But I think we will be able to accommodate your request. I'll see what I can do." He gave Morgan a tight smile, and left.

Talia was checking the readouts, and wrote things on Reid's chart.

"I'll be in to do his obs every five minutes, so I'll see you again?"

She smiled and left.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hey, Genius! Wake up, you're needed!" Morgan said softly. "We need you!"

Morgan stroked his hair, and held his hand. He talked to him in a constant torrent of meaningless words. He needed to see a sign that he was hearing.

This was going to take a long and horrible time.

A cop knocked on the door. Morgan called him in.

"We found these. Thought they might be important."

The cop showed Morgan a black bag. Morgan took the bag, and opened the top.

He recognized what he was looking at straight away.

"These are the things the woman was wearing who attacked our two agents." he said. "Where did you find them?"

"Men's room, second floor. That's what caught our attention. These are women's clothes."

Things suddenly slipped into place for Morgan.

"Hand them to the CSU guys working in the stair well, please," Morgan said, handing the bag back. "And show them where you found them." They might be able to get DNA or even traceable prints.

The cop nodded and hurried out. Morgan went to the phone at the nurses' station and called reception.

"The UnSub is a man, not a woman……..We are looking for a man……Yes, that's right, a man."

Morgan sighed and put the phone down. Why did he keep having to repeat himself?

As he walked back, he saw two men going into Reid's room. He broke into a run.

"What are you doing?"

The men were dressed as porters. One of them looked up at him, while the other attached Reid's IV lines to the bed.

"You requested that Dr. Reid and Mr. Hotchner should be in the same room?" He said.

"Ah yes." Morgan leaned on the door, feeling shattered. "Thank you."

He followed them as they pushed the bed along the corridor to Hotch's room. The room had been rearranged so that both beds would fit. They pushed Spencer as close as possible to Aaron and left, giving the two men a questioning look.

Morgan pulled the covers out from between the beds, and put Aaron's hand in Spencer's. He noticed how both wrapped their finger around the other. Morgan felt a surge of hope.

He went to sit by Reid, and thought about going down to reception to help with the crowd of people trying to go home. They were probably getting restless by now.

He took hold of Reid's other hand, carefully, as this was the one he had shot, put his head on the bed, and fell asleep.

…………………………

**A/N Sorry, not much action there I'm afraid, since both of my recipients of whump are unconscious!**

**8¬) Thank you to all my lovely readers and reviewers.**

**Reviews love**


	15. Tracking

**A/N **** On my bio, there's a link to a little piece I wrote about the true relationship between Aaron and Spencer. I would be grateful for your comments. Thankee Darlin's 8¬)**

Chapter 15

Tracking

_**Alexander Pope wrote**__, "Oh happy state! When souls each other draw, when love is liberty. All is then full – possessing and possessed. No craving void left aching in the breast"_

A man sat in a quiet corner of reception, and played with a mobile. He had some very interesting pictures.

But by far the best, and unexpected at that, was the one of the younger man dropping down the stairs. He noted how his neck bent forward when his head cracked in the step. He noted the angle of the blood spatter, and the way his limbs seemed to bounce when he hit the bottom landing.

This was wonderful!

He flicked through the still images he had stored. He had some of the other one up stairs. Close up pictures of the stitched wounds and the tear stains on his face. He had removed the dressing on his ear and jaw, and taken some of that too. They were pretty good, especially as he had some shots of the wounds actually being inflicted on his long range camera.

He accessed the web on his mobile, and sent the pictures to his e-mail in box, then he deleted them from his phone. It wouldn't do to be found with them here in the hospital!

He wondered briefly if they were dead yet. It didn't really matter; he had so much information now.

He slipped the phone into his pocket and stood up. Most of the people had gone now. He approached one of the free desks, to be processed.

"Sorry about the long delay, Sir," the cop said. "As you have probably guessed, there was a little incident in the hospital, and we need to collect names and addresses of all potential witnesses." She smiled at him in what she hoped was a winning way. It came across as a grimace. She had smiled at so many people that day, it was getting difficult.

"Would you permit me to take a sample of your DNA and fingerprints? I must tell you you do not have to. We do not have a warrant."

"I'd prefer not to, if you don't mind." He wrote his name and address on the form, and crossed out the bit that said he had willingly given DNA and prints. The cop checked the validity of the address on her laptop. She gave him a receipt for the information, and he left the hospital.

He recalled what she had said.

_...there was a little incident…_

He chuckled to himself. Hardly a little incident! What would he have to do for it to be a large incident?

He drove home to his little house, about a mile from the place he always called 'The Castle'. As he passed the now empty Castle, he stopped and looked over at it.

_Yes,_ he thought_, while it's empty, I might just go in again, and have another wander round._

The short drive home, and he was unlocking his door. The house, as usual, was empty, since his little wifey had 'gone to stay with her mother'!

Ha! In as much as they were both now dead, it was true.

He sat in front of his computer, and called up his e-mail account. Yes! There were all he wonderful pictures he had taken.

He transferred them to his photo file, and began to print them off. While they printed, he input his password, and opened the file named 'book' and started to type.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Morgan woke up a while later, when someone was shaking him by the shoulder. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. He hadn't meant to go to sleep. There was too much to do, an UnSub to be caught, and given a good hiding if he got his way.

He blinked away the sleep, and faced the cop who had woken him.

"Everyone has left now. We have the details of everyone who was in here." He handed Morgan a sheaf of papers. "All the addresses have been verified as existing. We thought you would like a copy."

Morgan smiled gratefully. "Thanks. And thanks for waking me."

The cop left, and Morgan flicked the pages. He was going to need Garcia for this.

Aaron and Spencer were still holding each other's hands, he noticed, tightly. If they could somehow energize each other, and pull each other back………

"I'm going back to the BAU, now. I'm going to get the SOB that did this to you."

He touched Reid lightly on the cheek, and went round the other side, and stroked Aaron's hair.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. You take care of each other."

Going down in the lift, his body enjoying the luxury of not running anywhere, he called Garcia.

"I know you're about to go home, Princess, but I'm really going to need you tonight."

He heard a sharp breath on the other end of the phone, followed by a chuckle.

"I'll wait here then angel cake. Is it to do with the DDB you gave me to research?"

"Yes. We need to trace this UnSub who has hurt Hotch and Reid."

Garcia still had strong feelings for Spencer. She would stay all night at work to help him.

"I'll get all the info together. What's your ETA?"

"I'm at the Potomac Hospital. I won't be long." He cut the connection, and went out to his car.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

True to her word, Garcia had prepared the information she had found on the DDB. She and Morgan were sitting in her bunker, as she hacked the PD computer She downloaded the names and addresses that Morgan had on the sheaf of papers that he had been given. Then she crossed referenced them with the names that had come up in her DDB search.

Morgan read through the information. There wasn't much call for DDB in the US, but there was an interesting entry.

A twenty kilo drum of beetle carapaces had been imported to the New York University Medical Department in Manhattan by a Dr. Peter Stephens, who was doing research into the affect of the Bane on cardiac patients. There was a note on the web page that there had been some two kilos missing from the drum.

"No matches." Said Garcia.

"I think I've found where our UnSub got his Bane from." said Morgan. "It looks as if he distilled his own, from the carapaces he stole from the NYU." He handed her the relevant information.

"Right. I'll cross check the hospital list with anyone who has access to the NYU, students or staff."

"Start with the science departments," said Morgan. "This extraction procedure is quite complex. He would need to know what he was doing."

"Just the men?" Garcia asked, her hands flying across the keyboard.

"For now, yes."

The computer beeped.

They had a match.


	16. Photographs

Chapter 16

Photographs

Gradually, Spencer started to become aware. He could hear the sounds of monitors beeping, and the distant sounds of people. He lay listening for a while, as his other senses kicked in.

He made an effort to open his eyes but they remained resolutely closed. His tummy hurt and his head hurt, and he moved his hand to touch the pain in his head. He had clips on his forehead and dressing on the back of his head. He tried to remember.

Aaron! He needed to see him. He could now remember the stairs, how he had struggled up them, in an effort to see Aaron.

He remembered someone at the top of the stairs. he struggled to give the person a face.

He was holding someone's hand, a hand he instantly recognized.

He turned his head, and tried again to open his eyes.

Aaron was lying next to him. He shuffled himself over to be closer.

"Aaron? Aaron, it's Spence……"

Aaron made no move, other than a tiny twitch of his hand. Spence squeezed his hand back, and tears came to his eyes.

He could only see Aaron's face, the ragged red lines, held together with clips. A dressing over his ear and jaw, his sensitive dark eyes taped closed.

_Oh Aaron, I did this to you. How can I ever say sorry? How can I ever expect you to forgive me?_

Spencer lay his head back down, and reached for the buzzer to call a nurse.

It was Talia who answered Spencer's call.

"Oh, hello, Dr. Reid! It's great to see you awake!" She seemed genuinely pleased, and Spence allowed himself a flicker of a smile.

"Is Aaron ok?" he asked. "He won't wake up."

Talia smiled, checking Spencer's IV's.

"The doctor has put him on a drug to keep him under. He would be in a lot of pain, and he can heal more quickly if he is asleep." she explained. "Likely he wouldn't be able to sleep if he wasn't sedated."

She noticed that Spencer was crying. "You don't need to worry about him, Dr. Reid. It's

a normal procedure in cases like this."

"Cases like what?" Spencer asked haltingly.

"Well, I don't know how much you remember, but Mr. Hotchner was badly beaten. It was touch and go at one point. Because of the nature of the injuries, internal bleeding and bruising, it would be impossible for him to lie in comfort. The drug induced coma is just to help him." She stroked Spencer's hair gently. "Please don't worry."

She went round to Aaron, and set up the dialysis machine. When she had checked that everything was working correctly, she turned it on.

"Just call me if you need anything, Dr. Reid. I'll see you later."

And she left.

Spencer put his hand to his face and cried bitterly.

_Oh my Lover! How could I have done this to you? Please be alright, Aaron_……

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"And we have a current address!" Garcia said excitedly. "Let's go and check it out!"

Morgan put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Oh no, Baby Girl. You are not coming!"

"Of course I'm coming. I'm…"

"No! Definitely not!"

A few minutes later saw then getting into Morgan's car.

"I mean it, Princess. You are not to get out of the car!"

"Ok." She said. "But I have to come. You understand that, don't you?"

Morgan sighed. "Yes, I understand. It's Spencer, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I know we broke up, but you were right about not being able to switch off feelings. I still love him, you know."

"I know, Sweetness." Morgan turned her face towards him. He saw the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "I understand."

The drive to the home of the suspected UnSub took them past Spence and Aaron's house. Neither of them looked at it. They drove straight past without slowing.

Had they looked, they might have noticed that the door was open, and there was someone standing on the terrace, looking out into the garden.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

As the sun came up, he clicked 'save' and shut down his computer. He couldn't wait any longer to get to the Castle, and walk the hallway where he made his last kill. He needed to relive the experience, and he hadn't been able to since those perverts had moved in. Thinking of them made him shudder.

_Still,_ he thought_. I've taught them a lesson they'll not forget, (If they survive!) and got some cool footage in the process. And now, I can go back to the Castle when ever I want, and re-experience the pleasure!_

He drove the short distance, and parked his car round the back of the Castle. He didn't want it visible from the road. He used his key to unlock the front door, and enter the hall. He sniffed the air.

Something wasn't right. What had they done to his Castle? Things had changed!

Angrily he went to the kitchen, and stopped short at the door.

They had destroyed it! He got no feeling of the kill any more.

With tears in his eyes, he saw that there was a new floor, covering the blood stain that had given him so much pleasure.

They had taken it all away!

He moved through the Castle, trying to find a remnant if the excitement he had felt there.

Nothing.

He went out onto the terrace.

Ah yes. He could feel it here.

Standing on the bodies of Wifey and that evil bitch of a mother in law. He jumped a few times, just to let them know he was there.

He tried to think what they would look like now. He had a huge urge to dig them up and see.

He went back to his car and collected his camera and the shovel that he kept in the boot for just such emergencies, and he began to dig.

He was lost in his excitement, and almost missed the sound of a car pulling off the road and approaching the house.

He left off digging, (And he was almost there!) and went back inside.

He crouched in the hall alcove, and waited.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Garcia obediently sat in the car while Morgan went to the front door. It was very quiet, and the door was locked. Nobody answered his knock.

He went back to Garcia.

"The UnSub's not here." he said. "I'm going round the back to see if I can get in through a window."

She nodded. "Be careful, Sweetness."

Stealthily, he went round the back. There was a window that was not locked. He pulled on his gloves, and opened it.

It opened into a small empty living area. He dropped down, and quickly looked around the room.

There wasn't anything in this room, there was nowhere to hide anything. He went out into the hall, and entered into another room.

This appeared to be an office of some sort. There was a pile of photographs next to a computer on the desk. He picked up the photos, and what he saw made his stomach clench

There were pictures of Reid and Hotch, ones of Reid attacking Hotch in their home, some of them in hospital. Close ups and distant shots of their injuries….

What kind of madman was he?

He put the photos back on the desk.

This was definitely the UnSub, the one who had caused so much pain.

He went back out of the window, closed it, and rejoined Garcia in the car.

"It's definitely his place." he said to her. "We need to get back and get a warrant. We've got him now." He told her what he had found.

The drive back was very tense, Garcia called ahead, and told them they needed a warrant, and they would also need some back up when they went to take the UnSub.

But as they drove back past Reid and Hotch's house, Garcia noticed the front door.

"Stop the car, Angel Fish; I think there's someone in their house!"

Morgan pulled onto the drive, and stopped just out of sight of the front door.

"Remember, Princess. Do not follow me. If there's someone in the house, I don't want you in there." he said, making her promise. "It's could be, though, that the door wasn't closed properly. I'll go and check."

he didn't really think that they had left the door open, but the last time he was here, that was the least thing on his mind.

Morgan went to the door, pressing himself against the tangle of growth that bordered the path. He drew his gun, and, standing at the side, pushed the front door open.

He leaned round and looked into the hall.

It didn't look any different.

Slowly he crossed the hall, and pushed open the kitchen door.

There was no sign of an intruder.

He went to the window, and looked onto the terrace.

Someone had definitely been out there. There were signs of digging. Recent signs, at that.

Morgan pushed open the kitchen door onto the terrace, his gun pointing straight ahead, his body tense like a coiled spring, ready to act. Adrenalin flowed through his veins, as he crept towards the disturbed area.

He had no warning.

He didn't hear anything before the shovel swung round and sliced deeply into the back of his neck.

The gun dropped from his hand, and he fell forwards without a sound.


	17. Garcia

Chapter 17

Garcia

Garcia sat for what seemed like hours. She hadn't heard anything from Derek, and she was starting to worry.

How would she know if he needed help?

And what could she do anyway? She wasn't a field agent, she had no weapon, she wasn't trained.

Derek had made it absolutely clear that she wasn't to leave the car.

She sat for a few more minutes.

What if he needed her?

_I need to check. _

She opened the car door, and making as little sound as possible, walked to the end of the trees. She could see the house from there.

Carefully, she parted the branches, and looked up at the house.

She could see someone moving about on the terrace. It wasn't Derek.

He was dragging something.

She thought about calling 911, but she needed to make sure it was an emergency first. Derek could be watching from inside. He wouldn't want police cars screaming up the drive!

Carefully, as quietly as she could, she crept along the path, keeping to the shadows. The front door was open, she slipped inside.

Her heart was beating that hard, she was sure that the man on the terrace would be able to hear her.

She quickly crossed the hall, and stood with her back against the wall next to the kitchen door.

She stood still for a few moments, trying to gain control of her breathing and slow her heartbeat, then she peered around the door into the kitchen.

Where was Derek? She expected him to be there, watching the man on the terrace. But he wasn't.

She pulled herself back against the wall again, and looked round for a weapon. The only thing she could see was a heavy vase on the hall table. She reached over and picked it up.  
Crouching down so that she couldn't be seen through the window from the terrace, she crept through the kitchen to the back door. Carefully she peered round the door to watch the man.

He was not digging any more. He seemed to be filling in a hole.

Where the hell was Derek?

Then she saw the gun on the ground.

It was too far away for her to reach it, but if his gun was on the ground, where was he?

The man continued to fill the hole in.

_Oh god! Derek!_

With a terrifying scream, she ran out of the kitchen, and hit the man with the vase. She heard the sickening crunch as the skull fragmented, and he dropped the shovel and toppled sideways.

She remembered some of the films she'd watched, and she hit him again. The thought of him waking up covered in blood and chasing her through the house gave her extra strength.

He didn't look as if he was going to be getting up again for a while.

She crawled over to the freshly dug soil and started to tear at it.

The hole hadn't been completely filled in. As she frantically dug into the soil, she prayed that she would find him alive.

She reached his hand first. She took hold of it, and pulled.

Derek was just below the surface. As his face broke through the soil, she saw that his eyes were closed, and there was blood running down his back, and dripping into the soil.

With one hand she dialed 911 on her mobile, and with the other, she held onto Derek as she slipped round and sat behind him in the soil, with his head leaning on her.

He was breathing with difficulty, and he began to choke and cough. She rested his head on the crook of her arm, and cleared his mouth of soil. With the sleeve of her shirt, she wiped the debris from his face. As soon as his mouth was clear, he began to breathe more evenly and deeply.

She hugged him to her, gently rocking and talking to him.

She saw the wound on the back of his head, and she pressed on it with her arm as she cradled him.

She looked over to the man she had whacked. He still hadn't moved.

What if she had killed him?

_Oh please, don't let him be dead! _

Derek started to move, he reached up to her with his hand.

"Baby Girl?"

"You're ok, Angel, You're going to be fine."

Painfully, he turned his head to face her.

"I told you to wait in the car!"

"Yeah? So I'm a naughty girl. What are you going to do about it then?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Spencer lay in his bed next to Aaron, thinking about what had happened. He still felt ill, but the clutching abdominal pain had eased to a steady ache, which was more manageable. He had been give pain killers for his headache, and that was almost gone now.

His skin had been irritating, and itchy. He had been given Cholestyramine, and almost straight away, he had relief.

Talia had told him that the vitamins and minerals drip was to help his liver recover, and now he wasn't ingesting the DDB any more, he would get better.

"No alcohol for twelve months though!" she had laughed.

He had taken a look at his LFT results – liver enzymes (GOT and GPT) up, alkaline phosphatase raised, bilirubin, very high. But he had been told that it didn't matter too much, as this was normal in poisoning cases.

"Nothing to worry about!"

Except he was so very worried about Aaron.

He wanted to be closer to him; he shuffled further across, onto Aaron's bed. It was wonderful to feel him lying next to him again. He rested his head on Aaron's shoulder, and talked softly to him.

_I love you, Aaron. I don't know if you are able to hear me, I want to ask that you forgive me for what I've done to you. _

_I understand, Love, if you don't want me with you anymore, and if that is your wish, Aaron, I will go. I will leave the BAU, and you will never have to see me again._

Spencer's eyes were streaming with tears, his words broken by sobs.

He leaned over and kissed him softly.

And he felt Aaron's lips kiss him back.

"Aaron, Sweetheart, it's me, it's Spence. Are you coming back to me, Aaron? Please come back. I need you so much."

Very slowly, Aaron put his arm around Spence, and gently pulled him closer. Spence pressed against him.

Aaron shakily moved his other hand to his face, and pulled the tape from his eyes.

"I need to see you, Spence…Don't ever go…."

Hardly more than a whisper, but as he removed the tape, and looked down with shining dark eyes at Spencer in his arms, Spencer felt an overwhelming joy.

Spencer closed his eyes and snuggled in Aaron's arms. Aaron tilted his head so that he could feel Spencer's hair against his skin.

They both slipped into a contented natural sleep


	18. Back at the Potomac

Chapter 18

_Raymond Chandler once said, "When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand."_

Back at the Potomac

By the time the ambulance arrived, Derek Morgan was fully awake, although he had not made an attempt at getting out of the hole in which he was sitting with Garcia. The cut to the back of his neck had stopped bleeding, and Garcia had her arms around him.

His neck hurt, and he thought his head might explode, but it was nothing he couldn't put up with.

When the paramedics arrived, Morgan had them check out the UnSub first. He was alive, but he needed urgent help. He was loaded into the ambulance; the paramedics came back for Morgan.

Morgan insisted that he was able to walk to the ambulance.

"It's only a cut." he said. "I'll get it stitched, and it'll be fine."

Garcia helped him up, and together they walked to the ambulance. Morgan was unsteady on his feet, so he accepted just a little help from Garcia, but he was not one to show weakness.

In the A&E, he was asked to lay on his front on an examination table, where the wound was washed, stitched and dressed. He had a tetanus injection, and was told he could go, on the condition that he came back if he got any worse, and come back in a week in any case to have the stitches out.

The UnSub was going to be ok, and apart from an almighty headache, he was not suffering any ill affects from Garcia's bash on the head.

The PD was ready to take him in.

Morgan and Garcia went up to the top floor to see Hotch and Reid.

"Do you want to tell them we got him?" asked Morgan.

Garcia nodded,

The blind was closed and the door shut when they got there.

"I'll just see if they can have visitors." Morgan said, and he opened the door a crack.

Aaron was lying on his back, Spencer asleep with his head on Aaron's chest. Aaron was entwining his fingers in Spencer's hair, and Spencer was sighing in his sleep. Morgan thought it was good to see that Reid was not having a nightmare, and that Aaron and he were still the same, nothing had changed.

"Can we come in?"

Aaron smiled, lighting up his face. It didn't seem to matter that it was scarred and battered. The smile covered all that.

"Yes, please. Is Garcia with you?"

Morgan nodded. Aaron gently shook Spencer awake.

"We've got visitors, Spencey."

Spence rubbed his eyes and looked up. He smiled at Aaron, then rolled over into his own bed. He sat up feeling so much better.

Morgan called Garcia in.

"Hi guys!" she grinned. "We've got him!"

"Hey!" said Spence, getting excited, "Tell us!"

Morgan told them how they had narrowed the search down to him, and what he had seen in his house.

"His computer has been taken by the PD, but from what I saw, I think I can work out what he was doing." Morgan said. "I think he was writing a book version of a snuff movie."

"So that is why he wanted photographs." Reid said, everything clicking into place. "And I suppose he was using our house for mock-ups before we moved in."

"It seems so. When we finally racked him down, he was at your house, Garcia bashed him and saved the day!"

_Saved your life, you mean! _thought Garcia. _I guess admitting all the facts though would seriously dent the tough guy image!_

Aaron was looking at Garcia with awe mixed with amazement. "You bashed him? Where was Morgan?" Aaron switched his gaze to Derek. "What were you doing taking an untrained and unarmed office worker into a dangerous situation?"

"I told her to stay in the car!" said Morgan, trying to defend himself.

"Just as well I didn't though, isn't it?" grinned Garcia, "Otherwise you would now be buried under their terrace! Oh and I wasn't unarmed. I had a vase!"

Aaron started to laugh, although he soon stopped when it hurt.

"Stop it, you two. You have two sick men here. We're not allowed to laugh!"

"So what have the doctors said? You are looking better than you did!" Morgan desperately changed the subject.

"We should be out of here pretty soon, less than a week, we've been told."

"We're thinking of renting this room on a permanent basis." grinned Spencer. "We seem to spend a good portion of our lives in here."

"We're going now, let you rest." said Morgan, happy to see his friends in such good spirits.

Garcia gave Spence a kiss on the cheek. "So glad you're getting better, Spence." she smiled. "I miss you when you're not around."

Spencer blushed an unusual colour. It was nice to be missed.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

When they had gone, Spence shuffled back onto Aaron's bed.

Aaron seemed to be far away.

"What is it, Babe? What are you thinking?"

Aaron put his arm around Spence. "I was just wondering what we are going to do about the house. Do you want to move, or are you happy to stay there/"

"I don't really know, Babe. We could try going back, and if we have problems, we can sell up and move on." Spencer smiled up at Aaron. "I'll start using sweeteners."

Aaron laughed and hugged him close. "I don't mind where we live as long as we both live there."

"Aaron?"

"What is it, Sweets?"

"You know….well….everything that happened……what I did to you?"

Aaron moved so that he could look into Spencer's eyes.

"Sweetheart, I don't want to hear another apology. It's over. It wasn't you; it was that guy Garcia brained. Please don't let it haunt you."

Spencer reached up and touched Aaron's face, feeling guilty tears form in the corners of his eyes.

It was not easy to do, what with all the tubes and all, but Aaron put both arms around Spencer and pulled him close.

Spencer curled into Aaron's side, and laid his head on his chest. Aaron pulled the covers up and pressed close to Spence.

Confident in each other's love, they lost themselves in dreams.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**END**

**A/N - and they lived happily ever after – or at least until my next fic!!!**


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